Attention as Worship
What do I give MY attention to?
In no certain order (what comes to mind): Tasks. Duties. Relationships. My body: working out, make-up, hair, food, etc. Reading. Studying. Writing. Sex. Emails. Driving my car. Cooking. Shopping. Meal planning. Cleaning. Organizing. Ministry. Phone calls. Teaching school. Of those things, do any of them stand out in front with too much of my heart’s attention? Do I honor any of those things above Christ with my ATTENTION?
I give a lot of my attention to my husband and children and my friends. I serve them, enjoy them, value time with these people that I love. Yet, do I forfeit time with my Bible and prayer to love someone? hmm.
I give much of my attention to tasks, stewarding God’s resources.
Enter..sin. I give my attention to myself. What would I like to do today? What would make me feel good today? Who will give me attention, today? My heart wars against my desires…
Who or What gives ME attention?
So, to change the words, helps me see the sin. Who will give ME attention today, what will give me what I want today.. Who will worship me today, or what object will bow down to me today?
I love to get attention. I love being in front, going first with speeches, eye contact, intimacy, emotional fluff, relational health and cosistent pursuit from those I give my heart to. Yet, somewhere sometimes the desire for those things crosses a line. The line is when the desire isn’t met, and I am disappointed too greatly.
Repentance:
For me, attention can be worship. Repentence is walking in the light over these heart struggles, SAY with the internet…The internet is a cold body, though. Rejection tends to be a blog’s middlename, if the motive is for attention. By, God’s grace, my heart is in check with sinful motives and Christ is changing me.
Repentance is holding passionate desires loosely. Ready to confess selfish desires. And in the disappointment, not to demand that I am worshipped.
On, my most obedient and worshipful days, I start out early praying before the sun and my family rises, to confess my sin, my battle over worship. That I would die and Jesus would be lifted up and my heart would be full of worship unto Christ. That my whole day would be in different expressions, giving attention, worshipping my God.
I pray my attention is wrapped up in Jesus more often and consistently. Too much attention to/of something MAY reveal an idol of my heart.
Filed under Uncategorized | Comment (0)God’s grace at work in my work…
By the Grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I but the Grace of God with me” - 1 Corinthians 15:10
God’s grace is with us in all we do. He enables me to work not for my own accomplishment, but for HIS own glory.
“He wills and he works for his good pleasure. But believing this does not make Christians passive. It makes them hopeful and energetic and courageous. Each day there is a work to be done in our special ministry. Paul commands us to work at doing it. But he tells us how to do it in the power of future grace: believe the promise that in this day God will be at work in you to will and to work for his good pleasure.” - John Piper, Future Grace
Every good work that I can possibly do is God at work in and thru me. For HIS glory.
2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
Whatever work God has called me to, He provides grace to me all that I need to accomplish the ministry for His glory and purpose.
My labor because of who I am:
I am a christian woman. I desire more and more of Jesus, knowing him, worshipping him, and working for him. I am a wife. I am called to serve, love, respect, grow with, minister with, repent with, my husband. As he loves Jesus and me, I become more radiant like Christ and the church. I am a mother. God has called me to raise four children up in him, serve them, nurture them, laugh and play with them, teach them, and guide them like a shepherd to Jesus, the great shepherd. I am a friend. God’s love happens in these relationships as we sharpen one another, preach the gospel to one another and confess sin to one another. I am “in Christ.” So, every battle I fight, Jesus fought and won. In Christ, I have eyes to see needs for others and in Christ, I can love, be in the world and minister to others…
In all of these callings- there is labor. Labor for what. For the Gospel. For God’s glory. I keep asking myself this fundamental question, “In my work/labor, am I worshipping Christ?”
God’s grace is sufficient! Certainly!
Ah ha!
If I am worshipping Christ in my work, the focus is not on me working, the attention, the spotlight, the focus is on GOD being the worker. He is as Piper said, that…
God is the decisive worker.
Philippians 2:12-13 but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
As I am doing my “works, good deeds, labor” God is surrounding me moving my hands, in my heart showing me his grace, his glory is revealed in the duties, works, and righteousness because of Jesus. The imagery I see is- the glory coming off of my body because of Jesus and God is at work to receive it. Like a vapor moving out of my body, Christ absorbs it, for His glory!
My work is because God is the most magnificent worker, and He is perfect at it.
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“Heartily…working..”
Heartily:
1. In a cordial manner; with warmth and sincerity: She greeted us heartily.
2. With zest or enthusiasm.
3. With great appetite or enjoyment: eat heartily.
Colossians 3:23-25 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
Do I work- Heartily? What is my heart like when I work? What am I thinking when I am working? Sometimes, I am thinking how good it feels to have rescources like appliances to load dishes and clothing, other times I am thinking “is it really possible to dirty this much???”
Thankfull thoughts cultivate a heart towards “working heartily.”
When Mike and I are around the house and getting on each others nerves a bit, we have over the years played a very decisive game we made up, called, the ” Thankfulness Game.” We take turns saying things that we are thankful for. God enables us to see Him in our surroundings as blessings and changes our hearts to acknowledge him, which is WORSHIP.
I try to play the thankfulness game in my head when overwhelmed with duties, tasks, jobs at home. As God sees my struggle and my desire to depend on Him, He enables my heart to worship Him in it. As I observe God in my work, my praying heart starts to rest and is more peaceful.
Working hard doesn’t always produce a heart that works Heartily.
Imagine Martha again, working hard, fast, and bitter. Heartily, again for GOD not for man’s approval or even our own approval.
My prayer is that as God continues to show me my sin with work, that my heart be FULL of thankfullness for hands to work, eyes to see, and the grace from God that enables any fruit that comes from my hands…
That I may work Heartily for Jesus.
Filed under Uncategorized | Comment (0)houseWork debt
Ever get to zero in your inbox , no pieces of clothing in your hampers- not one dirty dish? WOW! Congratulations! Doesn’t that feel great? And, how long does that last? For me, about 30 minutes for any of it.
I have to do two loads of laundry every day. If I don’t, I have a pile of clothes that could reach the ceiling in a few days. I am totally serious. There are the dishes, the floors, the bathrooms, the cobwebs, the dust, the pine needles in the entry, etc. If I don’t a little every day- balance withdrawls happen. Then, the house Work becomes so accumilated, it is like DEBT. It takes a whole day of work to get back up to zero.
I enjoy making the deposits- so that I don’t have debt. Yet, sometimes I do it to control my work, so it doesn’t control me. IS that good stewardship that leads to worship OR is that controlling work so I am in control? I believe that it is both. Most worshipful opportunities for me -are both. My drive to accomplish to my own end (glory) for self and the other side is to truly steward my life to God’s glory.
My aim is to see Jesus in my laundry. Not literally speaking. But, to see that He cares about the way that I do my laundry. He cares about how I steward what He has given me. Keeping busy to the glory of God. Not rules driven, but a tender submission- that says, the work never ends- and I am thankful I have the clothing and the hands to work with it.
Titus 2:5 says: -to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.
HouseWork Debt is inevitable. Worship is stewarding these resources to God’s glory. Thanking Jesus that He is providing for me. God has called me to keep processing all of that, so that the people in my inbox, the clothing, the dishes are stewarded. Working hard and busy, smart and patient, making deposits to avoid debt each day looks like this for me:
- 3 (15 minutes) time slots for processing email
- start load of laundry before kids wake up and fold and put away during nap (30 minute job)(older children fold and put away their own clothes)
- load dishwasher after dinner and run it during nighttime
- empty dishwasher as I make breakfast
- 5 minute clean up in kitchen after every meal (children help)
- 1 room a day to clean and organize (30 minutes)
Tips for making houseWork fun and teachable:
- Put on music and dance with the kids when putting up toys
- Make organizing projects with the child fun craft time!
- Let your children try to help with jobs- encourage their work ethic!
- Read to your child while they do a house job
- Game with Laundry: “Who can find the most clothing items that our yours,” or matching socks, or sorting.
- Have kids dishes stored low in the kitchen, so that they can easily take and put away their dishes.
- When a child is taking a bath, talk to him or her and clean out your drawers! (this takes only 10 minutes!)
- Have a bed linen day, where everyone brings all of their bedding to the laundry room, and at the end of the day, everyone helps make beds (I do every other week)
- Lay out clothes for the next day for your child
- Make working rewarding, by talking about it. Encouragement and thankfullness for trying and doing is great!
Happy houseWork Debt Consolidating!
Filed under Uncategorized | Comments (4)Worship as Dependence on Jesus
So much of our world tells us to be strong, independent, and confident. I grew up built on the foundation of independence and self-worth, and an ambitious feminism that gave me gigantic false confidence. Slowly, but surely, in God’s great love for me- He is changing my heart.
When I am in need- I am SO VERY SLOW to depend on Christ. When I am weary…
Matthew 10: 28“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Jesus is my example for Dependence:
Periodically, I think of my Lord Jesus, as a baby. I marvel at the Incarnation. Wrapping my brain around that point of theology- could possibly take years. Nonetheless, I imagine Jesus sometimes as a young boy- because I have two sons. Sometimes we talk about Jesus as a son and how he never sinned, so he never got a spanking. My kids love to hear that, it gives them hope! He was the best brother and son anyone could ever want. As a mom, as a Christian, I am amazed that God came as a man- I can imagine Jesus as a baby, boy, then man. Still God-yet in his youth- fully dependent on Mary and Joseph- stewards of God.
As I care for my baby, I am humble by her “deep need” for me. Her survival is based on my caring for her. I provide her food, clothing, soap, nurture, comfort, kisses, etc. Her dependence keeps her alive! Gradually, she gains independence, which is good. Physically, she can start to care for herself. Like my oldest son, who showers himself, gets his own breakfast, dresses himself, and anything else I would like for him to do himself, he is capable. I like that! But, my husband and I desire our sons and daughters to still “depend” on us. We want them to gain understanding on how to live, function, work, but in their hearts depend on God. Emotionally, we pray that they depend on us, need us, long for sweet relationships, deep connection, and evenutally we will enjoy adult friendship with them.
Jesus is my example for how to depend on God. He matured physically yet he still depended on His father. Though, I am a sinner, Jesus still wants my dependence. It is worshipful for me to offer my weakness, boast in them, and with empty hands offer my dependence as worship.
When tempted in the wilderness, Jesus appealed to Father and quoted scriptures to fight against Satan. Jesus, again is the example for dependence. Jesus being God shows me that while he was a incarnate, He showed his dependence on His father.
God wants me to BOAST in my WEAKNESSES.
Most of the time, weakness and dependence are interchangeable for me. Yet, as Christ shows me my needs- He is showing me that it is could to boast in my weakness and needs- so that I will boast in my insufficiency and HIS AMAZING sufficiency.
1 Corinthians 10:30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.
Boasting in my weaknesses is worship? I must admit I am not capable to “do” my life. But, “in Christ, ” I am. I must confess that the weed of independence robs my heart of security God offers me. Independence is a lie. Dependence is worship.
Dependence on Jesus is increasing in my heart- quietly and consistently and it whispers I believe that Jesus is ABLE, FAITHFUL, and in my worship- I get to depend on GOD.
Filed under Uncategorized | Comment (0)Worship (Valley of Vision Puritan Prayer)
I have been reading this prayer the last couple of days and especially find “Lord, let me live wholly to my saviour, free from distractions, and washed anew…” comforting my heart.
Like Martha, I am prone to be distracted. May Christ find my attention resting in Him!
Filed under Uncategorized | Comment (0)Glorious God,
It is the flame of my life to worship thee,
the crown and glory of my soul to adore thee,
heavenly pleasure to approach thee.
Give me power by the Spirit to help me worship now,
that I may forget the world,
be brought into the fullness of life,
be refreshed, comforted, blessed.
Give me knowledge of thy goodness
that I might not be over-awed by they greatness;
Give me Jesus, Son of Man, Son of God,
that I might not be terrified,
but drawn near with filial love,
with holy boldness;
He is my mediator, brother, interpreter,
branch, daysman, Lamb;
him I glorify,
in him I am set on high.
Crowns to give I have none,
but what thous hast given I return,
content to feel that everything is mine when it is thine,
and the more fully mine when I have yielded it to thee.
Let me live wholly to my Saviour,
free from distractions,
from carking care,
from hindrances to the pursuit of the narrow way.
I am pardoned through the blood of Jesus-
give me a new sense of it,
continue to pardon me by it,
may I come every day to the fountain,
and every day to be washed anew,
that I may worship thee always in spirit and truth.
Worship in Hospitality (part 2)
The unexpected visit, we have all had them.
I am not a spontaneous person. I tend to not exude a “laid back-sure-drop-by-anytime” attitude about guests. I schedule and plan any guests that are in my home. Whether it is a meal or a meeting with dessert and coffee, I plan. I plan the menu for dinner. Before they come, I freshen up the house, the kids, and light candles. I like having things prepared. If someone drops by, I am surprised, unprepared, you would probably catch me without make-up, and dishes in the sink! I put myself in Martha’s shoes and wonder if she was scrambling with out make-up and dishes all over her kitchen and no food made ahead of time for the surprise visit from GOD! I can imagine myself sweating, nervous, and very naturally succumbing to my “fear of man” –make a great impression here- self-induced pressure!
Worship is far from my heart when a visit is unplanned. My default is certainly shame. Shame for not having had imagined the possibility of a visit, kept my house perfect at all times, and a smile to boot! That shame is not from God. It is from my own heart, a heart full of fear of man, and Pride.
Having an attitude of worship unto Jesus when the unexpected visitor arrives (I think) might look like this:
- prepared in my heart to put others first
- preparing my heart by praying for an open heart and open home
- having systems and schedules for time management (my favorite)
- waking up early to have time to pray and prepare mind, heart, and body to serve
- having essentials for hospitality always on hand, already made, frozen baked goods, ingredients for a quick snack, breakfast, lunch, or dinner, fun drinks, fresh flowers
- one area of the house ready for conversation (picked up and clean)
Having a worshipful heart when serving others in my home- means I am selfless. I offer my heart, compentancies, and most important my ATTENTION to those who are in my home.
Reminders of Grace: God is not primarily concerned about how I prepare for expected or unexpected visitors. He cares about my heart in it. Am I worshipping Christ or myself as I serve? Thankfully, His grace abounds.
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