This past Sunday, we studied 1 Peter 4:12-19. Worshipping Jesus is depending on Him in the midst of it, growing in the knowledge of Him, and suffering to ultimately give God glory in our hearts. Jesus Christ is worthy of our worship. In everything. Including suffering. I pray that my heart would yearn as Paul’s did, to struggle well. I want to grow in vulnerability as the GOSPEL gets down deeper in my heart.
God is faithful to hold us in our struggles. He understands. He came into human history to identify with us and maintained His divinity. He was fully God and humbly lived as a servant and suffered. Jesus endured opposition at the extreme. The Holy Spirit gives me the capacity to believe this and walk thru suffering, comfort, and joy in my struggles.
I am grateful for a church family that is honest about suffering, repentance of sin, and the joys found in Christ. We can celebrate all that Jesus has accomplished on the cross- even in the midst of – especially in the midst of our suffering.
Feeling distraught and invisible recently, I dramatically threw myself down on the couch and said to my husband, “You don’t even see all the work I did today.” My Godly husband said to me, “Well, sweetheart, God sees.”
Duh.
I must admit that my audience is most often myself. Sometimes others, probably depends on who it is. That is where most of my sin lies, in pride. I work to please my own standard, not God’s.
Colossians 3:23 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.
When Mike reminded me that God sees, I realized how easily and often I forget who my audience is. I do everything better when I know someone is watching. I clean my house better when someone is on their way to my house. I do my hair and make-up better when getting ready for a date. I correct my children more tenderly in front of a friend than I do alone with them. God sees those movements of my heart, the fact that in my sin, I turn up the quality when someone is watching.
YET God sees me constantly. I can’t hide my heart from him or my work.
God knows the number of diapers, messes, snotty noses for the day. God knows the moments where I have to stop and pray for self-control and gentleness to intervene in a sibling argument. He knows the details, tasks, choices, and little moments of service. He is watching closely as I manuver relationships, conversations, research, and how I apply and comprehend the gospel. He is watching to see if my theology merges with the everyday small interactions. God is paying attention to ME! He is in the details.
If God is watching, why am I so quick to forget his presence? If I am working for Him, why don’t I stop more often to acknowledge that? Repentance continues to be, turning up the quality because I work for Jesus! Redemption for me is dependence on Jesus and worship in my work. It is also growing in humility to comprehend my part in God’s story.
HE is watching me because he loves me and HE alone is the reward. Knowing Jesus Christ is enough. Praise from people sure feels great, but knowing the King of Kings, my savior sees me and chose me, is the inheritance that Colossians 3 speaks of.
I work for Jesus. He is watching and cheering me on. For His Glory. Not mine. I am so thankful for that. His grace teaches and instructs me to lean into Him today and see God watching.
Feeling distraught and invisible recently, I dramatically threw myself down on the couch and said to my husband, “You don’t even see all the work I did today.” My Godly husband said to me, “Well, sweetheart, God sees.”