Training Kids in Productivity

Our household runs like a machine- most days. I have three extremely verbal, energetic, and planner kids, and one mellow baby. For our days to flow peacefully, I have to plan well and we all have to depend on one another to execute our daily plan.

Mike and me are both “J” leaning towards OCD-ish on the “Myers- Briggs Personality Assessment tool. So, you can imagine how we parent in an organized and planned fashion. We laugh sometimes at how un-spontaneous we are, so we plan spontaneous margin for our weekends, so that our kids can have great ideas and we don’t say no every time.

This past weekend, we have had many projects around the house, mainly getting our detached garage apartment on our property ready to rent.  Used to our “projects”, our kids rallied around us carrying big sticks confiscated from our forest for a yard, asking us what they could help us with. We put them to work, praised their adorable efforts, and got dirty with our kids. It was so much fun. Our oldest (6 1/2 year old boy), said he loved gathering rocks, because you never know what rock treasure you can find!

I was thinking as we were working with our kids of the value of work ethic and not just teaching our kids about work and how Christ calls us to stewardship, we also need to get dirty with our kids and enjoy work with them, so that they see the joy in productivity. That tasks and even hard labor is fun, rewarding, and an act of worship.

Routines are essential for our household to run smoothly and efficiently. The older 3 come upstairs right at 7 already dressed for the day, greeting Mike and I for breakfast. Chaos ensues until about 8am as four children work out their breakfast requests, Mike and I scurry about the kitchen meeting their needs as well as our own, hopefully. Each day, in the afternoon, I have our sons do 5 things off a list: 1, 30 minute independent reading, house chore, workbook, house chore with me, and 30 - 60 minute media time. They love the last one the most, lately everyday it is the Wii, star wars. I am so impressed that their hearts are typically not complaining, that God has helped them have content hearts as they set out to do their tasks, they enjoy it and take pride in a job well done. I watch them and coach them, praise them, and talk with them about their days. Sure, there are times where they need reminded to follow through, but as they mature, they need fewer reminders.

Productivity for kids is just living your heart out with your work in front of your kids and inviting them into the process. I have also recently been revealing to my kids that I don’t want to do work sometimes and that mom needs Jesus to help me accomplish this or that.  They are watching me, which increases both my passion and my fear for the call on my life to steward, to love these precious kids.

the Idol of accomplishment

Repenting of my pride in work is tough. I love productivity. Many days I feel more confident and satisfied if at the end of the day I have much to show for it. I enjoy the results. I am the girl that loves the house make-over shows. I love to work hard on a project or my everyday tasks and take a good look at the “after.”

Making lists isn’t all bad. But, what is my heart about when I make them and finish the tasks? I generally feel proud of myself when I can check many things off my task list. In-fact, I have joked before that if I do additional tasks, I will add them just to have more checked off. Making a list organizes me but it also gives me a vision for the day. This is negative if my vision for the day shrinks to the daily tasks. Is share the gospel on the fly with a stranger at the park, encourage my husband spontaneously with sex, think and learn about my world and how it is hurting, on my list? Things that aren’t in my life starring at me, usually aren’t on my list. Which, reinforces the idea that lists shrink my life and don’t encourage me to think of God’s supreme transcendence.

So, the real question is: What does God want to accomplish through me today? Not, what tasks that are in my shrunk little kingdom of Wilkerson are to be accomplished today? Not, what things am I most excited to do today? Not, what items are pressuring me to anxiety?

It is idolatry for me, if I clench my fist around accomplishments or if I look for meaning from accomplishments. I worship the idol of accomplishment, when I stroke it with a prideful satisfaction when I work hard to do my life.

Worship through work is the repentance God is after in me and the reason for this blog- to process my journey to worship, to encourage others to see Jesus Christ in their work, to see His hand and give Him glory, not self.

I confess my sin of this idolatry, replacing the pride of accomplishment, with the hope for humility and dependence on Christ in my work.  Repentance for me is to ask the Lord each day what my tasks should be, and as He enables me to accomplish my satisfaction in it would not be absorbed by me, but pass on to Him. Making Jesus look good, not me.

Passionate Worship

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 your mercy, 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 are steadfast love and faithfulness,for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

For this in a song form: check out: www.marshillchurch.org/audio/Psalm25_Parsons_070610AM11.mp3

He works…for His good pleasure!

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!

I (We) are God’s Workmanship

Ephesians 2:10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for 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.

Working through the Junk Drawer

I have three junk drawers in my home.

Growing up, we always had these deep and dark and sometimes dangerously packed full drawers. Often it was the most handy and the top drawer in the kitchen or office. Anything small and handy, ackward, random and unnecessary would land in this vortex of a space. I use them now as a de-cluttering option for my kitchen and office space. When, random objects appear, it isn’t long before they make their homes in the junk drawer. Every few months, I take a few minutes and empty most of the junk drawer items in to the trash. I always think to myself, “why didn’t this things go to the trash can right away?” Why on earth did we keep that?

I think that my heart is like a junk drawer. There are good things along with the useless in there.

My heart collects packets of information, random thoughts, beliefs about God, relationship receipts, little pointless pieces of data, and many other threads of curious motivations. Working thru the junk drawer of my heart is being willing to be exposed for all the trash among the “keepers.”

Working thru the junk drawer is similar to the processing of my heart.  I can completely ignore my junk drawer and avoid it at all costs because it is screaming at me to organize, throw away, make sense out of random items. My heart accumulates junk. In fact, the illusion is when the drawer is closed, it looks like my spaces are clean and organized, when in fact there is old junk, if you just open that drawer.

Repentance is the process of opening of the drawer with a vision for change- a heart softened to the Lord to change. To turn from my sin and claim more of Jesus. I believe in progressive sanctification. It is a process of continuing to lay hold of the righteousness that is ours in Christ. 

Hebrews 10:22 Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

I desire to walk ever so closely with Jesus, keeping my focus on him, and in full assurance of my faith, my heart is cleansed.  The junk drawer is worked thru and redeemed.

Weary with Work

I am exhausted.  Weary. Emotionally. Physically. I am fighting for my time with God and straining to keep my eyes on Him thru meditation, prayer, a soft heart to listen to His voice. 

Weariness sets in and the temptation with it is to lose heart.  

Hebrews 12: 1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Do I see Jesus thru my weariness? God tells me in this verse to consider Jesus who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that I will not grow weary and lose heart. 

If I fix my eyes on Jesus, my heart is able. My heart is able to give, love, focus, and worship.

In my distraction- my heart loses focus. My vision is blurry. Fixing my eyes on Jesus makes me see 20/20. And everything lines up.

Jesus is the only hope for the weary, for my weariness.

Isaiah 40:31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Embracing Interruptions as Worship

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.

Fear of God in my work

What motivates the heart?

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:

1. Unrighteous anger for any block from standards or productivity to happen.
2. Disappointment when praise from man doesn’t happen
3. Bad feelings about self- when tasks don’t happen
4. inflexibility, irritability
5. 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:

1. Meekness
2. Humility
3. Self-control
4. Kindness
5. Love
6. 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!

Worship is a war. Who is fighting?

Worship as Prudence

I feel richly blessed to have a husband who is always brewing something in his head. He will disappear into a warp zone in his head and later I find that he has outlined a whole sermon. Yesterday, we had a coffee date and he preached to me, it was very romantic. I love his heart and how God talks to him. He isn’t one to zealously or enthusasically share his thoughts or teach me or others, when uninvited. Yet, if he is invited, prepare yourself for insight that changes you. God has gifted him with knowledge and the ability to communicate it well. He has taught me and inspired me, yet he is a prudent man. He has taught me over the years by his example to be cautious and obedient to Christ as to when and what to share with others. He worships in humility and prudence with his mind.

Proverbs 12: 23 A prudent man keeps his knowledge to himself, but the heart of fools blurts out folly.

 This verse cuts at my heart. While, I am a passionate woman, I continue to be prone to speak my mind, heart, knowledge, insight, etc. Even as I blog, it is a matter of prayer. I go thru a process as I study–to desire Christ be glorified and not me, to be prudent with my knowledge and my heart.

Worship is prudence sometimes, because it takes the humility, dependence on Christ, a desire for God’s glory and not self, to RESTRAIN my lips, or in most cases, to RESTRAIN my fingers typing.

Worship is prudence if it brings my mind in submission to Christ and the joy that brings.