Hebrews 12:1-3 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so
closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2
looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy
that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is
seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Life swirls around me and I grab some time to stop and rest. All these schedules, tasks, duties, relationships, budgets, demands, errands, ministry, friends, birthdays, neighbors, projects- all capture my attention. Chaotic work and memories flash behindme and I strain forward in this race of “getting things done.”
Thus is the race of our Christian faith. Specifically, my roles as wife and mother. What waits for me as my reward and what motivates my heart to work hard? Throughout the day, what drives me? What is my rest and peace? What are my eyes focused on?
Oh so easily, my eyes are fixed on the little rewards of productivity, the before and afters, the praise from those near me to appreciate my work. My fake rewards leave me empty.
God Himself is my true reward.
He is my motivation.
There is an actual finish line and our home in heaven is waiting for us, our inheritance. Bridging the gap of work and my heart is worship. God wants me to run this race of life with endurance. He has set before me this body, this life, this heart to look to Jesus. I run hard for nothing, an endless race, if I am not looking to Jesus. Jesus is the why of my worship, the object, my reward.
Colossians 3: 23-24 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not
for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as
your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
When the peace turns to chaos, fits are thrown, demands on my time are pressuring, and there is no way dinner is getting made, I freeze and am tempted throw my hands in the air and give up. Overwhelming feelings of my weakness threaten my faith. What keeps me moving forward with endurance? It can only be Jesus that moves me.
I am not alone. I don’t have to be strong.
God is with me now, He is my strength all along, not just at the finish line. He is with me with every move I make, every thought, every tender feeling. He is the promised land, but I am already there! In Christ, I am both running towards Him and with Him.
As I run this intense calling- my worship is increasing. My independence is decreasing. And.. I fall in to God’s precious arms, so that He can carry me the rest of the way.
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.
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?
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!
Spring fever: A feeling of restlessness, excitement, or laziness brought on by spring.
We have been here 9 years last month and have certainly gotten acclimated to the climate, the dreary days, and have become what we mocked when we first arrived. When we first got here, we snickered in disbelief for the pacific northwestern behavior when the sun peaks out. The tank tops and flip flops appear at the hint of 65 degrees and sunny. Now, I am one of my fellow city dwellers with no shame. WE love the weather and really don’t mind the dreary days or drizzly rain.
As Spring has arrived in its fickle, teasing, rebellion against consistency, the warmth appearing then leaving. I am antsy. It isn’t about the weather as much. This isn’t a weather talk. The weather more REPRESENTS the wave of inconsistency in my heart. The weather is like a mirror to see how I respond to circumstances.
As the darker days become more lit with the promise of the sun and flowers start their beautiful blooms and people eagerly garden and lay on the grass, my heart is anticipating. My heart races at the plans of all that I want to do in these next short 5 months!
Spring Fever is a cue for me to see how fickle my heart is. I am as inconsistent in my worship as Seattle is with sunny days. I am so quick to put my hope in all MY plans, not God’s. The calendar and lists thrive in the spring. The productivity meter goes way up. My heart is eager to grow things, teach things, filter, organize, and make changes.
Spring Fever pokes at my restless desires, thinking that by accomplishing anything, peace is the reward.
God is my reward. Spring time fun, projects, and thoughts can be purposeful in my heart to connect to Jesus. He is to be worshipped when I dig in the dirt, worshipped in the mundane raking of constant pine needles in our lawn. He is to be praised in the planting of vegetables and acknowledged for His miraculous creation. Whatever my hand finds to do, whatever my heart craves this spring, I am admiring God.
Spring Fever is ok, I think if it draws my desires in to Jesus’ desires. Passion Redeemed. Restlessness stilled. And Work becomes Worship.
You ain’t really organized until your closets are organized- in my opinion. This spring, I am attacking my closets, cabinets, and drawers.
Check this super helpful video out:
Steps for closet organization: (thanks mom for being the clean closet queen; she taught me all of these)
Get better quality hangers and have only one kind of hangers. Looks nicer. (I think black plastic looks best)
Purge clothes that you haven’t worn in 6 months.
Is your closet large enough to have all four seasons of clothes? If not, put out of season clothing in clear containers to simplify the closet to the season you are in. (containers for under your bed?)
Zone your closet. Sections for shirts: short sleeve to long sleeve. Dresses- pants. Dark to light. Solid to pattern.
Shoes on shelves or shoe cubbies and zoned
Scarves and hats, gloves and other accessories in clear containers
Purses all together on shelves or drawers.
Keep empty hangers in a section of their own, hung up.
Keep dirty clothes hamper close by, so that no piles start to form.
What is all the fuss with spring cleaning? Shouldn’t we always be cleaning regardless of the season? I think it is a common feeling to be motivated by changing seasons to change things in our environment. When the trees start budding leaves and the air gets scents of bloom, spring fever hits me! Then, I am ready to buy vegetable seeds and excited to make lists of projects for outside and inside the home.
As Spring approaches, it is an excellent time to think about what areas of our homes need extra attention. What projects have been put off or need attention? A few questions come to mind as I ponder this topic:
What projects can I give an hour a day to that would help my home and family run more smoothly?
What spring and summer memories or events are typical for my family and what steps can I take to plan those?
What areas outside or inside my home are being avoided because it is too overwhelming to clean, organize, or decorate?
Spring Cleaning is just a name that our society has come up with for a temporary motivation to organize with an extra measure of social pressure. It is really nothing more than surveying the home or workplace and taking inventory.
Inventory by room by room. Each room should be maintained daily, weekly, and monthly. Clutter, clean, and deeper clean. Spring cleaning can be an extra time to re-decorate, put an organizational system in place, or re-arrange for a more effienent space.
Spring Cleaning Inventory (the List)
organize the list by room
scan the room: what do you not like in the room?
assign your name or someone else’s name to each task
write down items to purchase
what needs to be thrown out, given away, sold, etc.
what doesn’t work about the space? brainstorm solutions
budget any changes and talk thru it with your spouse, get ideas, look thru magazines for ideas, get help, share resources
plan time to give to the tasks/projects
enlist kids and or family members to have fun with the project
After each room gets this inventory, priortize the rooms in order for your time and attention. Look at your life schedule and set aside a reasonable amount of time for these extra jobs. They are in addition to our daily stewardship of our home. Spring projects are great opportunities for communities/groups to take turns helping each other with as well. I have heard of groups in our church, once a month serving a family in the group on a Saturday with Spring outside projects. What a great way to serve and be served.
I love Spring. I am reminded as the green stuff starts appearing of the newness of life and the character of God. It is so amazing that God created seasons, months, weeks, and days. I find that with each new day I feel a fresh start, new motivation to love God and others more.
As I start my list for Spring Work, I am intensely motivated to worship God in the ”before and afters” of projects!
The second you walk into your home, there is a system in place. What do you do with your shoes? Do you have a shelf, a basket, or how about just a heap of shoes? In the northwest, it is common to take your shoes off when entering a home. We have a big wooden box with a lid that is child proof. I love that the shoes aren’t a visual. In my family of six, shoes can be overwhelming! The children are great about immediately taking their shoes off and putting them into the shoe box.
In theory, systems should make work flow easily. Systems are the various methods in which to organize your life, stuff, and sometimes relationships. A trash can is a system. A fridge is one. Anything that collects things and has a purpose. Closets, cars, drawers, email, moleskines, dressers, shelves, cabinets, and even your home is a system. In it contains things to organize and steward. IT is either chaotic or has some sort of order, which is a system.
Some systems work. Some don’t. And systems change according to their function over time as the needs change. For example, my toys are organized in to a system. I have bins for categories of toys. Balls, dress up, characters, legos, puppets, cars, etc. Having toys streamlined in this system keeps our family organized with the toy clutter. The toy that the eager child is searching for (hopefully) is always in the designated place. This is helpful to parents as well. How many times have you been asked to help search for the lost toy?
Paper systems are WAY more difficult for me to maintain. We have a mail inbox, every day the mail goes in and once a week it is gone through. Coupons and paper reminders go in either my moleskine for shopping list or the junk drawer. Sometimes they go on the fridge. I have a difficult time keeping up with the flood of paper and toys in the house, van, purse, backpacks, mail, etc. The systems that don’t work for me are the things that I don’t see. Like my garage for example. Out of sight out of mind.
Your child comes home from school. Another thing to “process”. The lunch box gets emptied and put away for filling it the next morning. The papers in the folder: looked at and complemented, some tossed, some saved. The saved ones go to the “child saved papers” bin in my office area. The homework gets done and put back into the folder. Then, the notes from the teacher or fliers to be saved, all processed. If they aren’t, you have your self piles of stuff.
Systems take the guess work out of where things are. If you don’t keep up with your systems daily, then they really have lost functionality. You can find yourself guilty and overwhelmed real quick! Your email is a system. In Getting Things Done, Allen talks about the 2 minute rule. Answer each email right away if you can do it in less than 2 minutes. If it is a deeper, more heart felt email, requiring you to think more, flag it and come back at a designated time to answer the flagged emails. If you do this each day, you can reasonably keep your inbox empty.
Processing your inbox, putting clean clothes away, clearing counters, keeping up with your lists, and projects, are all examples of maintaining home systems. Not maintaining systems gets you in house work debt.
I need a better system for laundry. I have to do 2 loads each day, or I am in over my head with laundry debt. I dream of a laundry shoot and envy my friends that have one. I lug two hampers down the stairs to keep my system going, but surely there is a better way! Once the clothes are in the laundry room, I sort. I usually have at least one pile of dirty or clean clothes on the floor at any given time. Any thoughts on laundry sorters or containers for laundry rooms?
What systems are not working for you in your home? What systems would help you be able to steward your home more effectively? Do you resist systems?
When do you work and when do you engage with those around you? Do you struggle with resentment when trying to be productive and a relationship presents itself? When do you choose to play or relax when you should orneed to accomplish something? Are you more lazy or are you too busy with work? These questions should poke at you! If you have been reading this past year at all, you know that I am more likely to work than play.
For me, I am more likely to obsess over a clean and orderly home than chill out and take a break from work. Repentance isn’t always the opposite of my behavior, however. Tasks can easily become more important to me than people. Change doesn’t mean that I abandon tasks and instead sabbath all day, everyday. Change is having a soft heart (awareness of God directing my actions and emotions) and know each day, each action, what is the better thing. Change is slow for me, and over time I am beginning to see my work not just tasks, but also relationships. Worshipping Christ in my work is also recognizing the people around me in my life as I work!
Here are some examples of straightforward tasks:
Cleaning
Cooking
Errands
Budgeting
Shopping
Email: calendaring, projects
Here are some examples of relationship moments:
Time with God, reading, journaling, praying
Dates with the kids
Playing with them: toys, sports, boardgames
Dates at home or away (full atttention) with spouse
Emails that communicate encouragement or affection
Out with a friend
Phone call
Serving someone in need of mercy
Urgent prayer in person or on the phone
When do tasks merge into relationships? Can relationships become tasks? Is it OK for me to “accomplish” or be “productive” with a relationship? Can I put relationship time on my “list?” Is it cold to think of a person as a task? Can I do work items with my husband or child and “kill two birds with one stone?” I have done this a lot while talking on the phone while the kids are napping. I will clean like a mad woman while catching up with a friend. Multi-tasking is great! Yet, I miss it if I am more interesting in the task than the person present with me.
Hmm. I think as long as I step forward in repentance to worship God in my work, this is one layer to the journey! As I continue to grow in humility, by God’s grace, I am finding that there is NO FORMULA! Shoot! Humility and maturity for me right now is growing moment by moment, being led by God, letting go of control, and moment by moment discerning like Mary (in Luke Chapter 10) what the Greater Portion is.
For your own pondering and conversing:
In your daily routine, what gets the most attention?
What thing that you can’t get to during your day, triggers anger?
Do you give some people more heart attention than others, why?
Interruptions are like striking a match to my gas leak of a heart.
In my sin:
I am not flexible
I don’t answer with a gentle heart
I repay evil with evil
I don’t bless those who persecute me, even if it is my kids
I do resent interruptions
I feel angry when I don’t get to do what I am trying to do
If I am working, that is what I want to do. I want to focus wholeheartedly. I can worship more easily, (i think) if I am immersed in whatever it is. My mind can focus, my heart engages, enjoys it, I have fun.
When I am cooking, the last thing I want to do is stop 20 times to put a toy back together, respond to the yell from the bathroom, “ready to be wiped, mom!”, put my daughters hair in a pony tail, spoon feed my baby while she watches me cook, find a star wars character stuck behind the couch, talk with my oldest about selfishness with the claim that “he had it first,” praise my younger son that he is being patient with me while I cook, because he had just been complaining that he would die of a hungry tummy, answer the phone, hold my toddler daughter while I stir, sounds like more than one thing happening, huh? Find me in the kitchen at 5 and if I haven’t prepared dinner during naptime, this is the predicament, I am in. The Match is lit and at any moment my sinful heart could respond.
Walking in a changed heart, a repentant heart looks miraculously different. It is a miracle when any sinner turns from sin.
So, it is a miracle from God a beautiful evidence of God in my heart to remind me to be flexible, joyful, obedient to the whisper of God in those interruptions. To respond peacefully to my children.
My interruptions are blessings not burdens. A true opportunity for my sanctification. Worship? Yes, a heart yielded to Christ in interruptions.
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!
I have been thinking lately about “busy.” What does it really mean?
Titus 2:4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5to be self-controlled, pure,working at home, kind, andsubmissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. (ESV)
titus 2:4 Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5to 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. (NIV)
This must be important, since God would speak to it. So, when a woman is at home, what does being Busy at home, mean…
I would venture to say that there are two types of busy at home
1. Frantic busy: last minute shopping for the last minute meal, last minute phone calls, emails, and trip to the store to get diapers or dog food, because your baby is wearing the last diaper you own. This kind of busy is the gal that is out of breath because she is running in circles, like a dog chasing its own tail. This busy gal is not ever getting time to rest or to enjoy those she loves or she does do those things and lets everything else fall apart around her. She isn’t really busy at all, she creates chaos by not managing/stewarding well, then has to urgently respond to the chaos- which can mask as busyness. Does she enjoy her life creating chaos? Maybe, frantic is fun? She is a busy gal, but she doesn’t seem to ever get it all done. She is urgent driven/minded.
2. Smart busy: planner and sabbather. She menu plans and reads to her kids. She makes love to her husband and has time to play a board game with her family. She is super busy, but is working smart and hard, sometimes fast at working, like during naps when kids are not needing her attention. This smart busy gal is ready for the impromptu visit or call. She is busy at home, but in a different way than the frantic busy gal. She may not get everything done, but smart gal seems to be focused not chaotic.
So, when do each of these busy gals read their Bibles? How about exercise? hmm. Those are good tests for me personally when I can tell my heart has veered over to frantic or urgent driven work. God in his grace offers opportunities for me to get back on track with stewardship of time and resources and doing more smart busy work.
Busy at home is not an “of course.” I could work myself in to a sweat and “miss” those moments that God has called me to, like playing with my children, affection, words, tenderness, laughter, all in exchange for a folded load of laundry? No, thank you!
God wants me to fear Him with my busyness, that I would be motivated primarily to work for his view not for others, that he would teach me to be smart in my labor.
Sometimes the biblical word for worship is translated “sacrifice.”
Romans 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers,by the mercies of God,to present your bodiesas a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
This week, I read Vintage Jesus, Pastor Mark’s newest book. It has been a solid and thoughtful look at the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you, Pastor Mark! I love the following in the section on worship:
Glorymeans weightiness, importance, preeminience, priority, or that which is our greatest treasure, deepest longing, and fountain of hope. Functionally, what we hold int he place of glory is in effect our real god. People can and do hold various people and things in a position of glory and then worship them by making sacrifices. Because we have limited resources (time, energy, money), we must allocate those things to what we consider most important or glorious to us and in so doing make sacrifices for our functional god. Whatever we hold in the position of highest glory is by definition our god(s). Practically, worship is making sacrifices for what we are living to glorify. – Mark Driscoll, Vintage Jesus
What do I make sacrifices to daily?
Like in my previous posts, so many other things lure my heart to make sacrifices to, other than Christ. God’s grace is amazing and I am utterly grateful that He accepts me “in Christ.” Not because my sacrifices to worship Jesus are always pure.
My heart’s desire is: Acts 20:2424 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministrythat I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify tothe gospel of the grace of God.
Philipians 3:3Forwe are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God andglory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—
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.
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…
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.
An easy attempt at change is to change one’s behavior. But, God is after HEART change. So, the following does speak to the changes that a repentant Martha can work on. Distracted Martha’s heart can start to focus her energy and thoughts towards worship as she becomes a better planner and organizer. Purely, by God’s grace, Martha heart will start dwelling on Christ in her as she: serves Him and others in her presence.
It is a matter of prayer and dependence on Christ that Martha can practically apply these changes in hospitality. Again, no behavior change cheaters! God sees our hearts. When people are in my home, my desire is to see them as a gift from God, to enjoy them, to treasure their words, to allow Christ to minister to them.
Part 1 is to talk about hospitality in the home where it is EXPECTED, not a suprise drop by. But, a planned dinner or meeting to host a friend or a stranger.
Scenario 1:
The meal is not prepared. You have in mind what you are making, yet all the preparations are undone. You wait until the guests arrive to start preparing. Immediately, the guests start asking how they can help you and they are hungry. The attention goes on you because you are the one with the plan. The attention doesn’t go on your guests, because now they are here to help you prepare- their meal. You are haried but trying to put out a calm vibe but it feels awkward. Dinner is served, later than anyone’s tummy wanted. Your guests ask you a few questions about your day. You answer. You are distracted now about cleaning up. Everyone is done eating, it was delicious! Everyone helps you clean up and you try to insert a few questions, because you know it is the “right thing to do”. You remind yourself that “good hosts” engage their guests. After cleaning up you may go to the living room for coffee and dessert and you find yourself looking at the toys on the floor and the hand smears on the window behind your guests head. With little eye contact, you try to enjoy conversation, yet you are distracted with much. Your guests leave. What was their experience? Did they feel- loved, engaged, pursued, served? Did your guests experience the love of Jesus? Was the experience worshipful? Did hearts resemble selfless service to Christ?
Scenario 2:
You have the meal ready, the house is clean and any tasks that would lure you are done ahead of time- so that your eyes and heart are glued to the friends in your home. The mess from dinner stays on the table and counter. The conversations are priority. You listen and pursue with questions and affections. They aren’t there to be impressed by you and your hosting and cooking abilities. Your guests are there to be served, loved, and pursued. But, even more, they are there for you to glean something from. If you view your guests as partners in the Gospel,your desire is to learn from them, not to impress them. This is a huge shift from entertaining in the home, verses true biblical hospitality. As Martha hosted Christ in her home, she had an opportunity to lay aside busy preparations, but to give herself, her attention to him. She missed it!
Oviously, no one fits squarely in either scenerio, but you get the point. In Scenario 1, the host is concerned with self, distracted, confused, and misses the gift of Christ. In Scenario 2, the host is tenderly available to the guest, open to the riches of Christ- offered up in conversation and an opportunity to serve others.
Both scenarios involve sinners- yet scenario two chooses the “good portion.”
My husband I and I often pray before people arrive that our conversations would glorify Jesus and that He would help us know how to love them well. When people leave and kids are in bed, my husband and I enjoy conversation with one another while we clean up from the evening. My heart is glad at the opportunity to serve the people in my home and it that, my heart is full of worship.
Do we see the guests being like Jesus in our home and cheerfully set at their feet, learning, serving, and enjoying them?
Do we worship Christ as we serve others in our home?
In some sense the most benevolent, generous person in the world seeks his own happiness in doing good to others, because he places his happiness in their good. His mind is so enlarged as to take them, as it were, into himself. Thus when they are happy, he feels it; he partakes with them, and is happy in their happiness.”
-Jonathan Edwards
Worshipping Christ in Hospitality:
-Loving others- equipped with divine grace
-Experiencing Christ in serving others
-Experiencing Christ through the gift of others
-Dependence on Christ
-Glory to Christ
Love is the overflow and expansion of joy in God, which gladly meets the needs of others. Love is not merely the passive overflow, but the agressive extension and expansion and completion of JOY IN GOD, reaching any.
-John Piper
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.
I love the feeling of laying down in my bed at night with my husband. My body sinks in to the mattress and takes a breath. The physical feeling of rest. My days consist of almost constant work. Most of the time, my mind feels satisfied for a job well done. I find work to be rewarding. My children, husband, and home functions because of me. I feel needed and happy about that.
Here is my question: am I working heartily? Yes.
But, am I working for the Lord- truly? Maybe.
What is my reward? Well, if I am working for myself, my reward is satisfaction unto myself. My motives are to be a good wife, mom, or even a “good Christian woman.”If I am truly working heartily unto the Lord, my heart’s motives are directed unto God. So, “In Christ” I see work as worship.
Proverbs 14:1The wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down.
So, what does it mean to work as worship? We are created to be worshippers, so in everything, we worship. Too often, my motives, are self-worship.To listen to praise music while you do dishes doesn’t necessarily translate into working as worship. (however, your heart may be pure in doing that!) A woman who tells herself to worship in work- pushes herself to “happy thoughts” flips on the christian music, yet folly may still be in her heart. She could very well be cursing her work (under her breath) -angry that she can’t be doing something more enjoyable. Yet, her behavior is scratching at the surface of heart change.
Heart change may look like- admitting to God and others she resists work. Then, doing it out of obedience. Then again, humbly talking to the Lord about the heart resistance. When she works, she knows her struggle to worship in work is confessed. In geniune heart change, under the behavior you see the struggle. You see honesty and humility.
It is easy for me to think about Work as Worship- because I enjoy it. My disconnect is caught up in heart motivations. My depravity says, ” Do it! You feel great about yourself!” Yet, “In Christ,” I am able to work heartily knowing that the glory for a job well done, ONLY goes to God. And that I don’t work for man or myself, but my Lord. And- the only reward that changes me is the reward from God.
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.”
Spring fever: A feeling of restlessness, excitement, or laziness brought on by spring.
What is all the fuss with spring cleaning? Shouldn’t we always be cleaning regardless of the season? I think it is a common feeling to be motivated by changing seasons to change things in our environment. When the trees start budding leaves and the air gets scents of bloom, spring fever hits me! Then, I am ready to buy vegetable seeds and excited to make lists of projects for outside and inside the home.
The second you walk into your home, there is a system in place. What do you do with your shoes? Do you have a shelf, a basket, or how about just a heap of shoes? In the northwest, it is common to take your shoes off when entering a home. We have a big wooden box with a lid that is child proof. I love that the shoes aren’t a visual. In my family of six, shoes can be overwhelming! The children are great about immediately taking their shoes off and putting them into the shoe box.
