For the past two weeks my mind has been dwelling on the idea of WORK. It spurred from a desire to be a more diligent worker in the place and season God has given me right now – namely, being a wife, stay-at-home mom, American woman rapidly approaching 30 who’s surrounded by others who yearn for God (whether or not they know it), and as the heart of a family preparing to serve overseas. This last one looks like many things right now – support-raising, mobilizing for the cause of missions, major administrative juggling, being an ambassador for the need to pray for the worldwide Church and the world in general, and overall, being the fort holder-downer while Kabob does a million things to prepare.

So… I feel like God has given me a WHOLE LOT of work right now. And it begs me to come to Him daily for the energy, attitude, and discipline needed to “get all these things done.” But really, I’m learning that even with His help, even with daily dying to myself so that He can more fully live in me, a whole lot just ain’t gettin done. It’s near impossible to get a list checked off with a one-year-old in the house. So should it be my goal to get a lot done every day? Is that why I’m working so hard?

I’ve been taking this question to the Lord lately – Why work? What’s the point? Why do I need to dust and vacuum when I need to edit Kabob’s theology paper, visit my neighbor who just had her second baby, and write our prayer letter so that others will be burdened for our future calling? Are there levels of priority when it comes to work? Is it always better to go serve the homeless downtown, and not just stay in my little home and change diapers all day? (I know the answer to this one, but sometimes being covered in poop just doesn’t feel like it has much of a point.)

This led me to do a word study on “work,” which is actually difficult to do, because the word “work” means many things in the Bible. And specifically, I’ve been researching with my question in mind – Why do we need to work? I’m still not done, by any means, but this is the main theme I’ve gathered overall – WE WORK TO BRING GLORY TO GOD. That’s it. There are parts of Scripture that elaborate more specifically (Titus 2:5 – “so the word of God is not dishonored”), and others are a little more roundabout with the point (Colossians 3:23-24 – it will remind me that I will one day receive an inheritance), but in a nutshell, they’re all saying one idea, which is that our work here on Earth brings glory to our Father in heaven. What a weird concept.

So even though loading and unloading the dishwasher and loading and unloading the washer and then doing all this again can quickly feel pointless, it’s not. Through my diligence to keep order, and thus beauty, in our humble home, I’m providing a haven for my husband and for my daughter to thrive, a place for the three of us to unite and laugh and grow as a family, and this brings glory to God. There are definitely times when one task takes priority over another, and it’s no big deal to leave the laundry for one day. But somehow, through God’s miraculous and gracious ways, we can glorify His Name by being diligent with the tasks He’s set before us.

I can go to bed each night and ask myself, “Did I work hard as to the Lord and not to men?,” and if my answer is yes, then I’ve done that which God called me to do that day, and I can have peace as I shut my eyes. He’ll give me everything I need for the next day.

I have this quote from Brother Lawrence above Chickpea’s changing table – “How very much shorter and easier it is to do our common business purely for the love of God, to set His consecrating mark on all we lay hands to, and thereby foster the sense of His abiding presence by constant communion of our heart with His!”

posted: 06 March 30
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