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 be in this world to love 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 worshiping JESUS?”
God’s grace is sufficient! Certainly!
Ah ha!
If I am worshiping 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 by the Holy Spirit moving my hands, in my heart showing me his grace. His glory is revealed in the duties, works, and righteousness because of Jesus. I have this image in my head, of a misty glory rising 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! That glory is radiant and it is ALL His.
My work is because God is the most magnificent worker, and He is perfect at it.
Often, I am consumed with my work, working out my faith, working on my home, family, tasks, whatever. My eyes are easily looking at what my job is and I lose sight of God’s work.
God is paying attention to me and is working on me.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Growing up without my father, my view of “dad” was full of uncertain and painful experiences with men who pledged short-term love to my mother, my sister and me. I grew cold to the desire for a dad. As I grew in Christ, my understanding of God the Father became more distant and theological than tender and personal. The thought that God is a faithful and loving Father seemed unreal. Yet, over time, I have learned to cling to him like a toddler pulling on her daddy’s leg.
When we view God through rotten experiences with our earthly parents, we project sinful characteristics on him—often without realizing it. Instead, we should start with knowing God and interpret life through the knowledge of him. I had it backwards.
He is a faithful Dad and delights in his kids.
Philippians 2:12-14 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now not only as in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
This is amazing! As I work out my salvation and delight in God I grow in worship. As I work, I am often nearsighted and only see only tasks and duties, yet God shows me that I do not work alone. He is at work—on me!—paying attention to the details of my heart. I can cry, “Abba,” and he hears. He never forsakes my need. He is not distant. He is near and his love is steadfast.
Psalm 147:11 The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.
My heavenly father works on me and is pleased with me because of Jesus. As I repent of independence from him and instead walk in dependence, God softens the hard edges of my heart. I am his daughter, hoping in his steadfast love.
Often, I am consumed with my work, working out my faith, working on my home, family, tasks, whatever. My eyes are easily looking at what my job is and I lose sight of God’s work.
God is paying attention to me and is working on ME.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Growing up without a father, my view of “dad” was full of uncertain and painful experiences with men who pledged short term love to my mother, me and my sister. I grew cold to the desire. As I grew “in Christ”, my understanding of God the Father became more theological– than a realization of my heart’s plea. The thoughts of God being a dad paying attention to the details of my heart seemed amazingly unreal. Yet, over time, I have started to cling to Him like a toddler pulling on her daddy’s leg.
God is lovingly correcting my view of “Father” not by redeeming my earthly experience first, but by teaching me that my understanding of him as Father should be a biblical view.
He is a Faithful Dad and delights in His kids.
Philippians 2:12-14 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now not only as in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
I work out salvation with fear of the Lord, as he delights in me. I delight in God as I grow in worship. As I do my work, I am often nearsighted and only see it as tasks and duties, yet God is showing me that I do not do my work on my own, it is God willing and working with His magnificent power and attention to details of my heart. I can cry, “Abba,” and he never forsakes my need.
His steadfast love never leaves me- even when I sin– he is with me.
Psalm 147:11 The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love
As I repent of independence from Him and instead walk in dependence, God is softening the hard edges of my heart. I tremble with belief that He is more holy than I could ever imagine as a Father. My heart is hoping in steadfast love and rejoices that I am his daughter.
What “season” are you in?
As a young girl, I wanted to be an adult. When I was single I wanted to be married. When my kids were babies, I wanted them to be preschoolers… As each season changed, my ambitious heart would often covet the next season. Even in my current season, I am tempted to grumble in it, and look forward to a future time in the life of our family.
Each season that I am given is an opportunity for worship. Yet, deep under the sporatic complaints and restless discontentment for my season, lies a dissatisfied heart with what God has given me.
As God calls me to my season, He is calling me to steward His grace in it.
1 Peter 4: 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards, of God’s varied grace.
Ephesians 3:2 assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you.
Stewardship of God’s grace is more expansive than the stewardship of money. Christians have experienced miraculous grace and are called to be the agent of grace in many ways. We are called to manage God’s stuff (which is everything) and furthermore represent His grace.
Paul (the author of the above verses) was called and equipped by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit which was a season that lasted from conversion until his death. God calls all of us to a particular season and the purpose of it is worship.
My calling shapes my season today. Serving Jesus by serving my family is my daily stewardship of God’s grace. My season is packed with overwhelming dependence on the Holy Spirit to keep my family and home running. More than checking things off a list, I am called to steward the love and grace of God.
Managing God’s grace in my season calls me to humble service without grumbling. Being led moment by moment by God replaces going through the motions of my day. As God lovingly directs my work; I am more gracious and flexible with my duties. As four children experience their mother, they are seeing glimpses of God’s grace for them. The gift and weight of this calling is intense and beautiful. And it is His grace that allows me to extend it to others. I am truly grateful that I am in this season. I long to steward it with repentance and continual and contagious worship.
What is your season? How can you more faithfully steward God’s grace in it?
Busy Body. That word is power packed with negative emotions and disgust, right? This “town gossip lady” image in my head is not the “busy at home lady”, but instead is the lady that chooses to be in other people’s business. I certainly never thought I was idle, lazy, or pointlessly or wandering about my day, looking for some one or something– to scratch an itch–in my heart….
When is the last time you found yourself going around from house to house being idle? Or, perhaps calling too many friends in one day? Concerned or thinking about other people more than what you are called by God specifically to be mindful of?
I haven’t identified much with this particular sin until– I realized that the Internet is my “town” to meander. I have found myself “going from “house to house” rather “website to website” seeking something: information, research, book reviews, blogs, facebook, or email all potentially sucking in my time and seducing my attention.
1 Timothy 5: 13 Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to.
To ignore this comparison is for me– choosing blindness. I have been blind to the fact that I am tempted to ignore greater blessings that God has called me to. Sin is giving in to the temptation to busy body with my eyes and heart focused on worthless and sometimes meaningless information that swirls around in my head taking up the mental space that should be occupied by meaningful thoughts and purpose.
Repentance is not always the opposite behavior. It doesn’t mean social networking is bad and email, internet, and helpful websites are now of the devil. As much as legalism lures me; I believe that repentance isn’t rule making here, but instead it is being tender to the Holy Spirit, moment by moment, day by day with my time and attention. There is remarkable joy and satisfaction in this discipline, as I depend on Jesus’ strength to walk with the submission to God enabled by the Holy Spirit in this area.
Practically, it means that I set thoughtful boundaries on time spent on websites. I choose appropriate times to give attention to it. It needs to be at times that relationships aren’t ignored or neglected. Stewarding my time, means seeing internet time as a resource to be used with wisdom –as worship.
Internet Busy Bodying is really just another form of laziness and escapism, not worship. Worship is living our lives in such a way that honors and glorifies God.
By God’s grace, my slices of time for Internet will be stewarded more wisely.
Feeling distraught and invisible recently, I dramatically threw myself down on the couch at the end of the day and said to my husband, “You didn’t even see all the work I did today.” My husband said to me, “Well, sweetheart, God sees you.”
Duh.. Sometimes, our sinful need for praise from people invades our hearts and can make us easily forget that God does see us and is always present. It is his presence that is ultimately satisfying. Even the most sincere acknowledgment from those near us-is empty and gives no life.
Who we work for:
As I labor through all that God has called me to, I wrestle with various questions: Why do I work? Who do I work for? What is the pay off or reward for my work?
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.
I look out at the audience from the stage of my life and I see many people who’s approval motivates my work to be well done. Fear of man is a sin that I am very familiar with, and by God’s grace am being changed into a woman who fears the Lord more.
Proverbs 29:25 Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.
We are working for God. He has called us to work not for ourselves or others, but for him. God is not the image of the “boss” you have pictured or have experienced. He doesn’t give job-descriptions, interviews, reviews and bonuses, or lay people off. In fact, our work will never be perfect enough, our intelligence insufficient, our productivity never deserving of reward. We can’t reduce a Holy and magnificent God to our “box” of a supervisor. We have to stop serving God with a “work hard enough to please Him” mentality. He is not pleased with our work. All of our work is inadequate. God only receives perfect holy work, which ours can never be.
Why we work:
The good news is that for the believer, Jesus gives us his perfect job review, his flawless work, takes the test for us, and in his divine majesty clothes us with his righteousness, which is the precious inheritance. We don’t get the inheritance because we worked hard. It could never be enough. We will always fall short. God’s free and perfect saving grace is given to anyone who believes, no matter what the resume says. On the cross, Jesus took our work ethic, our fear of man, our shame, our pride, and paid with his life.
He gives us his holy spirit, who enables our lives to give glory to God. It is the Holy Spirit is who fills my heart with wonder and reverence through the mundane to the significant parts of my day. The Holy Spirit convicts me of sin and turns me the other direction. Work can only by worship enabled by the Holy Spirit.
No audience, no approval, no relationship, or productive day can compare to the gift, the inheritance of God’s grace in Christ Jesus. HE is my reward. Every dish, diaper, errand, relationship, act of service, sacrificial commitment, every job undone or well done, can be offered as an act of worship. Depending on God to accomplish His glory in us and through us is a glorious opportunity that we get! Work is worship not because it is done well. It is worship when my heart is tuned to the presence of a holy and loving God who is glorified by my dependence on Him in all that my hands are called to do. As I worship, my work is transformed from tasks to glory.
Heartily:
1. In a cordial manner; with warmth and sincerity:
2. With zest or enthusiasm.
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 modern appliances to load dishes and clothing, other times I am thinking complainer thoughts like: “is it really possible to dirty this much…URG!”
Thankful 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 or prayers of gratitude 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 in Luke 10, working hard, fast, and bitter. God is the one we work Heartily for, not for approval of others. You can have a hard core work ethic, busting in for someone or yourself and not recognize God at all. Sincere worship is the dependence on an enjoyment of Jesus in all aspects of our lives, even in work!
My prayer is that as God continues to show me my sin with work, that my heart be FULL of thankfulness for hands to work, eyes to see, and the grace from God that enables any fruit that comes from my hands…
Are you Heartily working? Are you prone to grumble and complain when you work? How could gratitude in the mundane tasks of life increase your worship to Jesus?
Work I understand. Rest- not really. The other side of work is REST and BOTH are amazing opportunities for worship. God has had me on a journey full of difficult twists and turns- learning how to depend on Him in my work, letting go of agendas, navigating through glory and repentance, and giving my roles to God as worship.
Genesis: 2:2
And on the 7th Day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the 7th day from all his work that he had done.
God rested.
We are finite creatures, unlike our Infinite God. He didn’t “need” rest, yet He rested. A whole day devoted to rest. He wasn’t weak or tired. He didn’t need to rest just to make it through to the next crazy busy week.
What if God rested out of pure love for his people- as an example to show us how to worship Him also by resting? He gave us a gift of His grace, by resting.
I don’t rest well. Work is my default and rest is more difficult for me to do. I work until I “need” to rest. Rest is more of a necessity rather than discipline most of the time. Rest feels like pleasure and is far too infrequent. Yet, God calls me to rest – not as an optional survival method.
How many of you when you rest, take the moments to enjoy God? Is your busyness stilled for a moment? Does your soul finds satisfaction in refreshment of God? And when you experience this soul rest, do you regret not resting more often? Exactly. That is why God established the Sabbath, to give us opportunity to worship Him, with disciplined rest.
I had a burst of excitement this morning, one of those moments where many truths hit you in to one momentous jolt of heart! As Mike talks with me about Worship and Change, and reading his latest paper on counseling that confronts religious dualism, I am jumping with joy that I get more of the gospel!
Change happens in some ways layers at a time over time. In our community, there is a lot of teaching and biblical plea to address heart and not just behavior. But, they are connected not separated parts of who we are.
For me to see what I worship- my idols, my straying heart, is to address the spiritual part of who I am. As I repent of sin, acknowledge who I am in Christ, I can rejoice of his grace! Out of that joy of right worship, my heart is shaped, and the other parts may be affected. The heart is connected to the body.
Proverbs 14: 30 A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.
The heart is connected to the mind and strength.
Mark 12: 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.
To worship Christ, I don’t just worship with my spirit, but as my heart is joined with Christ, through progressive sanctification, my whole self is made holy!
Holistic:(from ὅλοςholos, a Greek word meaning all, entire, total) is the idea that all the properties of a given system (biological, chemical, social, economic, mental, linguistic, etc.) cannot be determined or explained by its component parts alone. Instead, the system as a whole determines in an important way how the parts behave.
My whole self, holistically worships, thru repentance and progressive change.. I am already holy in Christ, free, forgiven, His blood covers every part of my pain and sin. Yet, I still work out my salvation with fear and trembling, not because I am unsure of His grace, but because I know Christ’s grace covers me. I am humbled by the battle over my flesh so that I never take his grace for granted. My wretchedness shows me what to rejoice over. I rejoice in Christ and the grace and love he offers.
“There are other parts to being human. In Eric Johnson’s book, “Foundations for Soul Care”, he proposes four “orders of meaning” They are all interrelated and touch on one another, but they are hierarchically ordered. That means that some of them are more significant than others. His orders of meaning in order of the greatest to least significance: spiritual, ethical, psychosocial, and biological. Just because, these are distinct orders doesn’t mean they are disconnected from each other. For example, if I repent of sin at the spiritual order, that will have cascading changes throughout the lower orders, possibly even to the point of rewiring neural networks in the brain at the biological level. Going the other way, if my brain suffers injury, that would undoubtedly impact the higher orders that are built upon it; I may become more emotionally volatile which becomes a temptation to sin in my anger.” -Mike Wilkerson
Holistic Worship is the seeing myself in Christ, whole and new. Until we are glorified with Christ, we have to contend with our fallen bodies, depraved hearts, and minds affected by sin. In Christ, we have freedom, joy, calling, adoption, and GRACE in the midst of suffering. Jesus Christ took the punishment for our sin and only by grace did he do this! And I am in awe and fully boast in Christ!
Galations 6:14 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whichthe world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
This section of scripture is an acrostic poem exalting a noble wife. Each of the 22 verses begins with a consecutive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Such a woman is almost a personification of wisdom.
“A wife of noble character, who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value, She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. ” Proverbs 31:11-12
The first attitude of her heart I see is- consistency. This woman has consistent character. Her heart is consistent, let’s explore that more deeply!
Capable Trustworthy Heart “Noble, Translated Capable. He trusts her. Her careful household management enhances their family’s wealth. This kind of woman is an asset, not a liability, to her husband. Good comes to him that can be directed attributed to her. She supports and encourages him. And she is faithful in helping him all ….her life..” - The Bible Knowledge Commentary
Consistent Stewarding Heart. Faithful. Her husband doesn’t doubt her delivery of her duties and it comes from a consistent and faithful character. Behind her character is the theme of this section, the fear of the Lord. She fears the Lord which is her motivation for her behaviors. Her diligence comes from fear of God.
Serving Generously Heart. If she is always doing him good, she is generous servant. She anticipates her husband’s needs and meets them, so much so, that he always trusts her. Her love for her husband thinks about him and acts with ways to show him.
Abundantly Fore-bearing Heart. He doesn’t doubt her work or her heart. She is consistent and ready to love, serve, work, and enjoy him. She is a crown, a Godly helpmate to her husband, if he can always trust her. She is thinking of ways to love not ways that she could be loved.
Her work is consistent because her character is. Her fear of God is in place and from that flows fruit of righteousness, capable work, abundant trust from her husband. God loves this woman and she is responding to God’s love by faithfully pouring out love to her family. It isn’t hit and miss, it is consistent, because her relationship with God is consistent.
So, the Holy Spirit prompts me to ask myself, “When am I not doing producing these attributes, God?” And, the LORD reminds me that if my heart is first motivated to love and serve Jesus, the rest will follow. There is no formula for being a productive woman. For the woman who fears God is to be praised. That is what I want to desire more. To fear God is beautiful. Not the perfect body, not the perfect house, family, effective household management, etc, etc. To fear God is it!
Jesus, I pray that I would first fear you and trust you to iron out my weaknesses. I thank you for your grace that you give me daily when I don’t worship through my work. I know that you want my realigned worship, that my heart would seek your face only and out of that by your grace, fruit would follow for your own glory! To your Glory and in your name, amen.
What gets you up in the morning? Do you awaken to the sound of your alarm or the gentle tapping of a toddler on your arm? As you get out of bed beginning your day, what are you looking forward to? What motivates any of us to get out of our slumber?
Why get up? What do I need?
There are many mornings that I would love to put earplugs in and just sleep! For those of us with young children at home sleep is a rare commodity. Waking up in the middle of the night to feed a baby is part of the job and it is worship. Worship because God loves your baby and when you love them, you are doing what God wants! Waking up to read, exercise, get a jump start on your work day, can all be worship. Whatever season you are in, God has called you to work out your worship.
For me- I have four children and a husband. God has put before me a home to manage and a family to care for. I cant’ just “will power” myself out of bed! That can only last so long before I grow bitter and resentful at what God has called me to! The motivation has to be more than just waking up to do whatever the day requires of me! There is a deeper and more meaningful purpose in our work. There is always a list to accomplish or a schedule for the day. Yet, the list isn’t enough. Will power is shallow.
I have been pondering heart motivations and desires lately. There is a lot of information and self-help books that are “needs based.” Supposedly, each person has basic “needs.” Furthermore, if those needs are met, the person is supposed to be happy. But met needs grow more needs, ironically. The bucket of human need is never full. We all invent new ways to “need.” Call it desire, needs, dreams, motivations, or even wants.
I think that our hearts are designed for more than meeting our own needs and the needs of others. The “MORE” is worship. We either worship the Creator or Creation. We are motivated certainly from desires, needs, and wants, but they are to be directed toward worship. We worship God when those desires are for His glory, not our own fulfillment. Worship motivates us through and through. My heart is like my brain telling my hand to move. My heart motivates me to worship. My heart also motivates me to fleshly and sinful desires. Thus the war of the heart.
If I worship my home, then my happiness is wrapped up in always improving my home. Perhaps I worship a friendship– then I have fear that the relationship may produce rejection. If it is my family, then I crave acceptance from and fulfillment in them alone. My heart’s motivations make me act, think, feel, and respond to my environment. Worship compels the heart!
What compels you?
2 Corinthians 5:14 For the LOVE of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might live no longer for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
Redeemed people want to Love Jesus and others. The Grace of Jesus compels us to get up in the morning and love well. There is most certainly a struggle in this. Nonetheless, Jesus redeems our desires. Our love for Christ controls us, gets us up!
The Gospel frees us. Grace defines us. God lavishes His love on us. Living out the Gospel and embracing the Grace of God is a daily belief and action! In myself, I don’t want to get up and do work. But, in Christ I do! Because Jesus has given me His righteousness, I want to worship Him in my daily actions, thoughts, deeds, relationships, and especially my DESIRES. He has given me a new heart and new desires. I want to worship Jesus in and through my works. Not so that I can boast, but so that Jesus looks good.
Ephesians 1 4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.
So, what I am saying is this: the only way that I get up in the morning and do anything is purely the Grace of God. He has lavished His love on me! My new heart seeks to worship Jesus in the different ways that He has called me to live. My life will certainly change over time and different things will be expected, yet my Saviour will continue to redeem my godless heart and progressively save me. He has imputed His righteousness on me and I am absolutely grateful. May the Love of Christ control all of us. And may our waking up be joyful service to those God has entrusted us to love!
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.
What brings tears of awe to your eyes? What brings you satisfaction? The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.(Proverbs 9:10) It is the satisfied emotion that rests in the awe and presence of God. Knowing his wrath, his judgement, his power, his holiness, his grace, his sacrifice, his faithfulness, his tender mercies, his riches, his holiness, we bow in reverence, in fear.
I fear wind. The wind that is so powerful that the giant evergreen trees towering, surrounding, over our house swaying 50 miles per hour with branches falling terrifies me. Oh, some people have said, “wind storms are cool.” or “the loud sound of the wind is peaceful.” what??? Some winters, I have allowed the fear of the wind and the trees to be so controlling in my heart, that I don’t trust God to protect me, my family, or our home. Fear can be irrational. Fear can be all-consuming. Fear can seemingly take over our thoughts. Every winter a tree falls near our home. On days that it isn’t windy, my heart can experience more peace. I know that fearing God would mean even on the wind storm days, my heart would be in the same place as the “still” days. Fearing God is to trust him and his power over my fear of the wind. To experience calm and rest because God is keeping me safe. The last couple seasons, my wind fear has decreased as fear of the Lord has increased! I have bathed in psalms that talk about God being our fortress, refuge, safety, rock, stronghold, etc. As God has supplied my heart with His fatherly care, concern, lordship, and strength, I am starting to get it. There is no formula for replacing one fear for the right fear. Yet, in God’s grace, he has calmed my fears as I have placed more trust in God’s power, protection, specific love for me, his wrath, his kindness, and his mercy. I have to fight for this trust and fear. I have to tune my heart to the music of Psalm 27,31,61, 71 and believe the words!
In the same way that paying attention to the wind stirs my fear, which motivates me to hide from the wind, fear of the Lord motivates me to hide in him.
Psalm 46:1 God is my refuge and strength an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea
Deuteronomy 6:13 Fear the LORD your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name.
God wants us to Fear Him. He wants my heart to trust him, because he wants me to be satisfied in him, so He is glorified.
Proverbs 19:23The fear of the LORD leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he willnot be visited by harm.
Deuteronomy 10: 17 For the LORD your God isGod of gods andLord of lords,the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who isnot partial and takes no bribe.
Fear of the Lord leads to life, and satisfaction.
“Fear of the Lord means reverent submission that leads to obedience, and it is interchangeable with “worship,’”rely on,”"trust,”and “hope in.” Like terror, it includes a knowledge of our sinfulness and God’s moral purity, and it includes a clear-eyed knowledge of God’s justice and anger against sin. But this worship-fear also knows God’s great forgiveness, mercy, and love. It knows that because of God’s eternal plan, Jesus humbled himself by dying on a cross to redeem his enemies from slavery and death. It knows that, in our relationship with God, he always says, ”I love you” first. This knowledge draws us closer to God rather than causing us to flee. It causes us to submit gladly to his lordship and delight in obedience. This kind of robust fear is the pinnacle of our response to God.” -Edward Welch When People Are Big and God is Small
Fear of the Lord is Worship.
“Fearing the Lord means that this worshipful awe is the single and unchallenged motivator of everything I think, desire, say, and do.” – Paul Tripp, The Quest for More
Fear of the Lord is REAL beauty.
Proverbs 31:30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Are you amazed at Jesus? Are you bored in your Christianity? Do you tremble when you see glimpses of God’s glorious grace and presence?
We need to fight for fear of the Lord. It is a temptation for me, for all of us, to not fight for the fear of the Lord. It is a fight of faith. (1 Timothy 6:12) It is a battle to take the blinders of the world off, to fight against indwelling sin, and to fight against evil (Ephesians 6:12).
Just yesterday, a surprise early fall wind storm hit us. With power outages all around and a giant tree that split in half, resting on trees near our vehicles, and wind so loud you could hear the branches spitting. I saw the wind picking up early afternoon. Jesus worked on me. I felt peace. Instead, of right away having anxiety, I went to Psalm 121 and read it out loud to my kids and prayed silently that I would trust God and have peace in my heart. I took a nap! Now, that my friends, is redemption. It snuck up on me. I was sharing with my husband how I didn’t worry, then I realized I am growing in the fear of the Lord. God’s grace is evident! Thank you, Jesus!
How can we practically cultivate and at a heart level have the Fear of the Lord? Borrowed from When People Are Big and God is Small:
Review the creation psalms: Psalms 8;19;29;65;104
Meditate on the enthronement psalms: e.g., Psalm 95-97;99
Memorize Psalm 139. It states that God’s providence is so extensive it goes into all the details of our lives.
Go through worship songs/hymn book and highlight songs that express God’s majesty and holiness.
Read the book of Habakkuk. It is similar to Job in that God directly addresses a man who had questions about what God was doing. All the questions were resolved when Habakkuk was schooled in the fear of the Lord.
Read The Holiness of God,by R.C. Sproul.
Review the New Testament passages on hell. 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10;2 Peter 2:6, and Revelation 14:9-11.
Talk with others in community about your reflections and meditations.
AND- pray for the Lord to show you where you are hard hearted to fear him. Our God is slow to anger and abounding in love, holy and faithful to hear your desire for him.
Cultivating fear of the Lord is also surrounding yourself with other people who demonstrate this beauty. For example, John Piper. Watch this:
Let us work out our salvation with FEAR and TREMBLING. Lord, thank you for your faithfullness to care for me. You are my rock, my safe place, my hiding place, my comfort, my refuge. I thank you for the work of redemption you have done in my heart. Jesus, your blood was shed so that I could experience new life in you, thank you that I receive that gift daily. You are a good dad, who knows me. Amen.
William Temple’s (1881-1944) Readings in St. John’s Gospel.
“Worship is the submission of all our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness; the nourishment of mind with His truth; the purifying of imagination by His Beauty; the opening of the heart to His love; the surrender of will to His purpose – and all of this gathered up in adoration, the most selfless emotion of which our nature is capable and therefore the chief remedy for that self-centeredness which is our original sin and the source of all actual sin”.
Am I a content woman of God? Do I trust God to order my steps, my day, my plan?
God has really convicted me lately of so many idols in my heart. Specifically, I desire too much to know the “plan” for the season, for the day, for the hour… Hence, my difficulty to roll with the flow or my lacking flexibility. Deeper than that, it is discontentment, not trusting God, anxiety, and me trying to control. ugg.. My discontentment is masked very well (not in a sneaky way)by joy. My passion covers up my unmet desires at times.
Philipians 4:11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
My heart as John Calvin once said is an “idol factory” and in the midst of the the gratitude and worship unto Christ is my idolatrous heart. My heart wanders around looking for more. The “more” always serves me, not my family, friends, or my God. The more, is discontentment.
Paul Tripp says it this way: “You see, you and I are worshippers. This is one of the things the separates us from the rest of creation. As worshippers we’re always living for something. Something is always laying claim to the affection and rulership of our hearts. There’s always something that commands our dreams. There’s something that we look to to give us identity, meaning and purpose, and that inner sense of well-being that everyone seeks. Now, Scripture says that there are only two choices (Romans 1:25). You’re living in pursuit of the creation or the Creator. You’re looking for your satisfaction and meaning in the physical created world, or you’re finding it in the Lord.
What this means is that there’s a war of dreams that rages in our hearts, and in the middle of the fog of this war it’s so easy to get it wrong. It’s so easy to think that because I have my theology in the right place, because I am biblically literate, and a functioning member of a good church, that my life is shaped by worship of the Lord. But, that may not be the case at all. On closer inspection, it may actually be the case that underneath all of those things is a life that’s driven by personal success, or material things, or the respect of others, or power and control, etc. I am deeply persuaded that there’s a whole lot of idolatrous Christianity out there. The most dangerous idols of all are those that fit well within the culture of external Christianity.
Am I living in pursuit of God’s glory and do my choices reflect that? As God crushes idols in my heart, I am starting to understand more of the Gospel. My idols have clogged the pipes and crowded my heart. As the war in my heart continues, I am fighting with clearer vision!
Worship is contentment, but I have to fight for it, and reflect and acknowledge in prayer and praise to God for how GOOD He is and how Victorious Christ is! Repentence of discontentment will be more rest, trusting, in the midst of not knowing answers. I will stand in Philippians 4!
Do I fall at the feet of Jesus in complete adoration? Do I care too much of the opinion of others that I am distracted in my worship? If my God were in my home, would I see Him and know what humble and passionate worship would be? Or would I be my “default self” distracted and proud?
Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha: she sat at Jesus Christ’s feet and listened to his teaching. She chose the good portion, which would not be taken away from her. In Luke 10, I have read so many times this story and have taught on Martha- here is a link to the article, I wrote on Martha and her distraction: http://voxpopnetwork.com/reformingthefeminine/2008/02/09/margaret/
So, what did Mary get so right? Jesus said, ” Mary has chosen the good portion and it will not be taken away from her.”
Mary was open and flexible: Martha and Mary lived in the same home in Bethany. Mary and Martha both had to be hard workers to keep their home. They were hospitable and loved Jesus. When, Jesus entered their home, on the spur of the moment, Mary knew in her heart that listening to his teaching and setting at his feet would be the good choice. She was blessed in this act of worship.
Mary responds with passion:In Luke 10, when Jesus was in her home, she quickly responded with attentive ears and a posture of worship, setting at his feet listening to God. And in John 11, Lazarus died. He was the brother of Martha and Mary, and Jesus loved them all. Lazarus had been sick and Jesus knew that he had died, while he was away. Martha went to find Jesus to tell him and he started walking towards Bethany (Jerusalem was just a couple miles away) and she stayed there until Martha came back to tell her that Jesus was asking for her. Mary jumped up and ran out to Jesus, who was in the same spot he was when talking with Martha on the road somewhere between Jerusalem and Bethany. The Jewish crowd that was with Martha and Mary while they were mourning was so moved by Mary’s jumping up to run out to Jesus, that they went too. When they all got to Jesus, Mary fell at Jesus’ feet. Her tears and their tears moved Jesus. And he wept too. How amazing. Her passion, her love, moved JESUS! He knew he would raise Lazarus, he had a plan because he loved them all. Yet, he still wept with them. This is huge for me as I walk with hurting people. Flying a victory banner over some-one’s pain doesn’t communicate love, weeping with them and reminding them of God’s sovereignty is love. Jesus embraced Mary’s mourning by also mourning. wow.
Mary is generous. In John 12, this is where the same Mary anoints Jesus with very expensive perfume. Her devoted sister faithfully serves a meal to Jesus, the back to life Lazarus, Jesus, and the disciples. Mary poured this perfume on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. Jesus’ response to Judas’ push-back on Mary’s actions, once again shows that Mary instead of selling this perfume to give the money to the poor she chose to be worshipful in choosing to anoint her God before his death. Jesus defended her actions in Luke 10 and here, making sure that those who complained about her actions, knew that she was making the good choice. Matthew and Mark say that she poured it on his head and feet. Wiping his feet with her hair was truly an act of worship with humility and devotion. I can’t imagine doing this. I hope that I would have ignored all of those people around and humbly worshiped my God. I am sad to say my struggle is caring too much what those near would think of me. Mary didn’t seem to care. She worshipped Jesus with a passionate decisiveness that I am longing to see lived out in my heart and life!
My world can shrink so easily to the size of my life, my tasks, my own pain. I feel like if I can consistently see the sovereignty of God and walk in the knowledge of God’s transcendent character, my fear of man will fade away and my passionate pursuit of God’s holiness will replace it. As I study Mary, I am encouraged to see a woman who at least a couple times worshiped Jesus with decisive, passionate, and humble responses.
Psalm 25 comes to mind when I pray for a heart to worship with passion and humility.
Psalm 25: 4 Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. 5Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long. 6Remember yourmercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. 7Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me,for the sake of your goodness, O LORD! 8 Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.9He leads the humble in what is right,and teaches the humble his way. 10All the paths of the LORD aresteadfast love and faithfulness,for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
God is the Master laborer. I am part of his labor! My heart is full of amazement this week as I meditate on:
Philippians 2:12-14 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now not only as in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Working out our salvation with fear and trembling: this is awe and reverence rather than panic and alarm. My ESV Reformation Study Bible says- the right emotions are stirred by the presence of God. This salvation in the full, redemptive sense with particular stress on the sanctification of the believer. The sanctifying process calls for obedience.
God who works in you:While we are fearing and trembling at God’s presence, God is actively paying attention. He is taking notes on us, thinking, knowing us, arranging things for us, and lovingly guiding the whole universe to work according to his plan for each of us.
CAN YOU BELIEVE- that the same Lord who placed the stars in the sky and imagined and created every living creature, is watching us, loving us, and working things out for us? I am in awe at the hugeness and personal-ness of our God. I love it that God works for his own satisfaction, glory, and pleasure. He is Holy in His pursuit of His own glory.
I explained this to my boys this week that God is thinking about them. I told the boys how I have a journal that I take notes on my kids and how to best shepherd them, what they are going through in their lives, and how to encourage, serve, protect, etc. I am doing a fraction of the detailed work of shepherding the hearts of my kids, compared to the work of God in our hearts. He is all-knowing, all-powerful, and perfect.
For His Good Pleasure: I set here and try to picture God’s pleasure. What does that look like? Is he laughing in delight in heaven? Is his pleasure like sunshine rays coming through clouds? What does it look like for God to will and to work for his good pleasure?
I love that God delights in his work and I am one of his works, that he delights in, knows, loves personally, and works things out for my good, ultimately giving himself glory.
I do not work on my own, it is God willing and working with His magnificent power and attention to details of my heart. As my heart worships God-replacements (idols) less over time, I am at a place where that “fear and trembling” is more frequent and my heart is full of adoration and is completely awestruck!
Ephesians 2:10Forwe are his workmanship,created in Christ Jesusfor good works,which God prepared beforehand,that we should walk in them.
A few posts back, I wrote about God’s grace at work in my work. I have been meditating on that for awhile and the above verse.
I am amazed that as I am stewarding many things and people, God is working on me. He has prepared work for me to do. Every task, every relationship, God has prepared in advance specifically for me to do- unto His glory.
I am God’s workmanship, not just the work that he has for me to do. I am a work for him. Get it? As I grow in Christ, repent, mature, suffer, experience abundant grace in my life, I am a work.
It is interesting, I despise feeling like a “project” and am aware when I have made people “projects” in my life- out of a sinful place of self-righteousness. I don’t want to be anyone’s project! Yet, as a child of the King, I am his project, that is what being made holy is all about.
As I ponder, being God’s workmanship, I am humbled that I am far from being a finished project. God sees me and He sees much sin still.
The awesome news is: that when God sees me He doesn’t see just me, He sees Christ over me. He is my identity and His righteousness is MINE. The pressure is off! GOD doesn’t see just a work in progress- a continual project (me)- God sees Christ a finished work (because of the miraculous work on the cross) for me.
I love that I am a project, now. I pray that as I work on my smaller projects here on earth- I will continue to be humbled by this truth.
Some people assume that since we are a people who are totally depraved, the issues of the heart will only reveal sin, so what is the point of delving into the motivations of the heart? The point is not to explain or prove sin. I know I am a sinner. Yet, in understanding my heart and my sin, the Gospel is real. I see my continual need (desperate need) for a redeemer, to wash my heart, clean. Only Christ can make that happen.
While, I am “in Christ,” as a Christian, my life is a battle to claim His righteousness and to walk in repentance for sin. To celebrate what Jesus has done on the cross for me and you.
Take my work: Two distinct motivations could alter my behavior dramatically. Fear of man and fear of God. Both can produce the same behavior yet my heart is not changed.
If I have a heart motivator of fear of man in my work, this is what my heart looks like:
driven to please others
concerned with outward appearances more than love and inward affections
performance to impress: my kids, my husband, my friends, family, etc.
controlling environment attain a false satisfaction
controlling people to attain a false contentment
using things and people to make my self feel good about myself
caring too much about the opinion of others or myself
unrealistic standards for home, productivity, relationships that is law driven not Grace driven, legalism!
producing results for praise from man
doing tasks for accomplishment and duty
These heart motivators produce:
Unrighteous anger for any block from standards or productivity to happen.
Disappointment when praise from man doesn’t happen
Bad feelings about self- when tasks don’t happen
inflexibility, irritability
shame if identity rests on performance
In contrast, thru repentance fear of God in my work looks like:
desiring first to please God in work
aware of God in the details
depending on God in the details
gentleness and self control
quiet whispers of prayers when confrontation of interuptions happen
tender-hearted conversations that come at the suprise moments
giving God the credit in my heart for a completed task or simply Him enabling me to do anything
showing people near me my need for Christ to do anything
confessing sin quickly
These heart motivations produce:
Meekness
Humility
Self-control
Kindness
Love
Worship
Just to name a few!
Again, my battle, my war with work is to WORSHIP my God in my work. To see Jesus in my laundry, my children’s eyes, to love Jesus with my hands and most importantly, my heart!
In celebrating Jesus this week, I am in awe specifically of the fear of the Risen Christ. Mary Magdelene and the other Mary were afraid when they saw the tomb empty and still afraid when the angel told them that Jesus was alive. Their fear of God was strong.
Matthew 28:5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you. 8So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
“Afraid yet filled with Joy” I can’t imagine how they must have felt as they ran to tell their dear friends that the Lord was alive!
I have been pondering the fear of the Lord versus my fear of man, for awhile now. I am working thru a second time the book by Ed Welch’s book When People Are Big and God is Small. In this book, I have realized how deep my fear of man is and how shallow my fear of the Lord is. As I read this account of the “Marys, ” see them in a different way, somehow. I see them in wonder, awe, fear, curiousity, joy, and somehow I see them trembling with hope.
As I have confessed before and continue to see sin there, God is changing me! He is bringing me to a place of trust and fear. A peaceful anticipation of God’s presence and the riches that await me in my journey with him. As I experience Christ, I find worship in the mundane and unsignificant. I find Jesus giving me more often a trembling fear and joy at the same time, a new and precious experience.
Busy Body. That word is power packed with negative emotions and disgust, right? This “town gossip lady” image in my head is not the “busy at home lady”, but instead is the lady that chooses to be in other people’s business. I certainly never thought I was idle, lazy, or pointlessly or wandering about my day, looking for some one or something– to scratch an itch–in my heart….
Feeling distraught and invisible recently, I dramatically threw myself down on the couch at the end of the day and said to my husband, “You didn’t even see all the work I did today.” My husband said to me, “Well, sweetheart, God sees you.”
