Recently, I have been considering my priorities in light of a Scripture passage that I was reminded of at a recent church service. I Corinthians 3:13 says, "Every man's work shall be made manifest for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is." Often when I am deciding what I should do in a day's time, I determine it based on several factors that we all use--what is the most urgent or important thing that I need to do today? A question that I have been focusing on recently is the one that this Scripture passage brings to light and that is, "will this activity I am planning today, stand the test of fire?" This passage apparently teaches that our works will be tried by fire, and only some of our works will make it through the test.
When I think through my previous day's activities, I have to wonder if some of the activities I chose to do will stand the test of fire. Works that will stand the test of fire will not necessarily mean only "spiritual" tasks such as reading my Bible or praying. Rather, those enduring works would be the things that God has asked me to do no matter how temporary they may seem to be. Changing the baby's diaper or making a meal for my family can be a work that will stand the test of fire because it is something that God has called me to do.
On the other hand, Martha in the Bible was doing ordinary tasks, and her works did not stand the test of fire. Why was it that her preparing of a meal, which would seem legitimate, did not stand the test of fire? I suppose we may never know the full reason for why her work did not make the test because we do not know her motives when she was preparing the meal. Maybe she was preparing an extravagant meal when her budget didn't allow that. Perhaps she was working to impress Jesus instead of listening to Him. Maybe she didn't realize that when Jesus was there, it was the time to serve hot dogs and keep it simple so that she could have time for Him. Perhaps it was none of the above. I can see why Martha wanted to prepare such a nice meal because I would have thought of doing the same thing if Jesus were coming to my house to eat.
There is no way we can fully know why Jesus didn't approve of Martha's seemingly legitimate activity, but I believe we can know which of our activities will stand the test of fire. Many of our activities are obviously things that will burn up--and we don't want to be honest enough to face that fact so we keep going about it every day. Other activities may not be so clear--my standards for how clean my house should be, how well I maintain my yard, how much I need to earn, or how many cheerios I allow to accumulate in my child's car seat! That is why we are told to walk in the Spirit. God's Spirit will tell us what we should be involved in if we take the time to listen and if we walk closely enough to Him. Most of the time, I think our works fall short because we fail to know God's will in those areas.
Today as I plan my day, I should first focus on eliminating those things that I already know will not stand the test of fire. Then on those areas where I just don't know, I need to walk close to God so I will know what He wants me to do.
At the end of the day, I can have peace about how I spent my time whether I spent it in the obviously "spiritual" activities or whether my mundane activities became spiritual because I was walking in the Spirit. Since all my works will be tried by fire, it is insignificant what others think, or what is customary, or what has always been done a certain way, or how awkward I may appear to others. Rather, what is it that God wants me to do and will I choose to do it His way today?
My husband wrote a great piece on holiday time management. If you are interested in three ideas for redeeming the time during the holidays, read his article.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
The Measure of a Life
“Life is not measured by the breaths we breathe, but by the moments that take our breath away.” Author unknown
Think back to the moments that have taken your breath away. You probably have some major life events that took your breath away—a wedding, a birth, a special occasion that took months of planning. In reality, however, how many of the most special moments in your life took just a few seconds and then they were gone from sight, but never from your heart. In my life, while I have enjoyed the big things that make my life richer, it has been those sixty second spaces of time that have given me the rich life that I enjoy. My four year old last week cuddling up beside me last week, and saying, “I love you.” A special email sent from my husband. A note from my teenage daughter. A smile from my fourteen year old. An innocent bedtime prayer, “Help Mommy to be good” from my little boy.
I have experienced these breathtaking moments in nature—my first glimpse of the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone in the Spring, seeing the Acropolis in Athens at night--but most of those moments have involved people-- people that have invested less than sixty seconds in my life. Sometimes those moments have been made when I take a fraction of a moment to notice the people around me—pudgy baby feet sticking out from under a blanket, standing outside a bedroom door and listening to little boys talking, watching my little girl play with her baby doll.
If it takes so little to remember so much, why don’t we do it more often? Too often we’re measuring life by the breaths we breathe-- how much we can do, and how much money we can bring home before the day’s breaths are past. We’re busy seeing how successful we can become while we can still breathe, and forget to make those moments that will outlive us when our breathing has finally ended. Savor the moments today before they are gone!
Think back to the moments that have taken your breath away. You probably have some major life events that took your breath away—a wedding, a birth, a special occasion that took months of planning. In reality, however, how many of the most special moments in your life took just a few seconds and then they were gone from sight, but never from your heart. In my life, while I have enjoyed the big things that make my life richer, it has been those sixty second spaces of time that have given me the rich life that I enjoy. My four year old last week cuddling up beside me last week, and saying, “I love you.” A special email sent from my husband. A note from my teenage daughter. A smile from my fourteen year old. An innocent bedtime prayer, “Help Mommy to be good” from my little boy.
I have experienced these breathtaking moments in nature—my first glimpse of the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone in the Spring, seeing the Acropolis in Athens at night--but most of those moments have involved people-- people that have invested less than sixty seconds in my life. Sometimes those moments have been made when I take a fraction of a moment to notice the people around me—pudgy baby feet sticking out from under a blanket, standing outside a bedroom door and listening to little boys talking, watching my little girl play with her baby doll.
If it takes so little to remember so much, why don’t we do it more often? Too often we’re measuring life by the breaths we breathe-- how much we can do, and how much money we can bring home before the day’s breaths are past. We’re busy seeing how successful we can become while we can still breathe, and forget to make those moments that will outlive us when our breathing has finally ended. Savor the moments today before they are gone!
Recently I had an event in my life that brought back memories of what it was like in the MOMYS stage of life. In case you haven’t heard, MOMYS stands for a Mother of Many Young Siblings! I am still a mother of many young siblings, but now there is a big difference because I am also the mother of many older siblings. Maybe this event can demonstrate how much things have changed and express the heart that I have for other MOMYS.
One of our best memories of our time in Europe was the time that we spent in Belgium. We did not have too many expectations for our time in Belgium and did not even know where we were scheduled to stay during our time there. When we arrived, we were very pleasantly surprised to find out that we were spending several days in an old castle, and we had the whole place to ourselves. Tthe castle was beautiful with lots of little nooks and crannies and meandering hallways to explore. It seemed like the perfect place to relax and spend some time reading a book in the privacy of one of these hidden areas of the castle.
One morning during our time there, I awoke earlier than the others and was cozily thinking about the good time I was going to have downstairs sitting by myself with a cup of tea. I was looking forward to taking my Bible down and having some special time with the Lord reminiscing about the trip and enjoying a nice, quiet morning of devotions.
In just a few minutes, though, before I even made it out my bedroom door, I experienced the “event” that brought together this whole blog. One of my older children told me that the baby was a mess, and I knew by the sound effects and atmosphere in the next room that “mess” meant that he had caught the sickness that one of the other younger children had experienced during the night.
The thought of the quiet time downstairs disappeared into thin air as I began to instead experience the sights and sounds of a baby in a “mess.” Before it was all over, linens and clothes had to be changed, a bath given and quite a while later, I had finally taken care of the “mess.”
Of course, by this time everyone else was up and ready to start the day and my plan of starting the day had been drastically changed. As I thought of my options, I remembered what it was like to be a young MOMY. In those days, I experienced a lot of frustration and guilt on days that started out just like this day had. In those days, I couldn’t do what I did next. I asked one of my older daughters to please watch the baby while I went back upstairs to read my Bible. Then I went upstairs, read a few minutes, and fell asleep after all the stress of the morning.
Back in the days of having only small children and no one to help out, getting back to that Bible time was often nearly impossible. If it were not impossible, it certainly wasn’t a private time by myself. It was most often a time of trying to concentrate and offering a short prayer for the day while managing to handle all of childhood’s needs.
Many times I felt guilty over my devotional life because it was far from what I wanted it to be. I felt that I should have gotten up sooner, stayed up later or come up with some different plan. In my heart I wanted to have time with the Lord, but not only was I dealing with many young siblings with needs that often couldn’t wait, but I was also dealing with back to back pregnancies, late night breast feeding and the general weariness that comes with being a MOMY.
Would I do it again? Absolutely! What I am enjoying now is worth it and more. The life I enjoy now is a direct result of spending so much time and physical energy investing in little people that could give little in return. This morning, my husband and I are in California with just our youngest child. Yesterday, we thoroughly enjoyed a day at the Monterey Aquarium. We had not planned on going, but our older children wanted to give us money to go there, so we enjoyed a day at their expense!
Now, I realize something that I did not fully realize then. That is, God is not standing ready to punish the MOMY that wants and actually misses that special time with the Lord because she couldn’t make it happen. He is not standing there criticizing me because I did not get up early enough because the baby cried so much in the night. He is not there critically marking down how many times the devotions were less than satisfactory because I couldn’t hide away somewhere and have peace and quiet to concentrate for a few minutes. Back then, the idea of a prayer closet sounded wonderful-- just give me any closet by myself for a few minutes to restore my sanity!
God was watching and knowing that all along there was a desire in my heart, often made stronger by my circumstances, to spend that time with him. He knew that instead of carelessly skipping opportunities to spend time with Him, I actually more eagerly looked forward to the times when I could slip in a few extra moments of peace and quiet. I know more now than I did then that God knows. He knows where I am, and He knows the conditions I find myself in. He knows when the baby wakes up in a “mess” before I get my Bible time, and He knows when my mind can’t stay alert any longer because I am weary from the struggles of the day.
Am I excusing laziness, lack of discipline, or lack of love for the Lord? I don’t think so. The same God that knew when I couldn’t meet with him also knows when I can and choose not to. He knows when I am weary because I stayed up late the night before in frivolous activities. He knows when I choose to get up early and go shopping before spending time with Him. He knows when it is not my true heart’s desire to meet with Him, and when I am using flimsy excuses to cover my true lack of love and lukewarmness toward Him.
It is reassuring, and it develops a proper fear of God to realize that “God knows” and His knowledge is far purer and holier than ours. When I think that “every one of us shall give an account of himself to God,” I can both rest in the assurance and stand in the fear of God knowing that He really does know.
One of our best memories of our time in Europe was the time that we spent in Belgium. We did not have too many expectations for our time in Belgium and did not even know where we were scheduled to stay during our time there. When we arrived, we were very pleasantly surprised to find out that we were spending several days in an old castle, and we had the whole place to ourselves. Tthe castle was beautiful with lots of little nooks and crannies and meandering hallways to explore. It seemed like the perfect place to relax and spend some time reading a book in the privacy of one of these hidden areas of the castle.
One morning during our time there, I awoke earlier than the others and was cozily thinking about the good time I was going to have downstairs sitting by myself with a cup of tea. I was looking forward to taking my Bible down and having some special time with the Lord reminiscing about the trip and enjoying a nice, quiet morning of devotions.
In just a few minutes, though, before I even made it out my bedroom door, I experienced the “event” that brought together this whole blog. One of my older children told me that the baby was a mess, and I knew by the sound effects and atmosphere in the next room that “mess” meant that he had caught the sickness that one of the other younger children had experienced during the night.
The thought of the quiet time downstairs disappeared into thin air as I began to instead experience the sights and sounds of a baby in a “mess.” Before it was all over, linens and clothes had to be changed, a bath given and quite a while later, I had finally taken care of the “mess.”
Of course, by this time everyone else was up and ready to start the day and my plan of starting the day had been drastically changed. As I thought of my options, I remembered what it was like to be a young MOMY. In those days, I experienced a lot of frustration and guilt on days that started out just like this day had. In those days, I couldn’t do what I did next. I asked one of my older daughters to please watch the baby while I went back upstairs to read my Bible. Then I went upstairs, read a few minutes, and fell asleep after all the stress of the morning.
Back in the days of having only small children and no one to help out, getting back to that Bible time was often nearly impossible. If it were not impossible, it certainly wasn’t a private time by myself. It was most often a time of trying to concentrate and offering a short prayer for the day while managing to handle all of childhood’s needs.
Many times I felt guilty over my devotional life because it was far from what I wanted it to be. I felt that I should have gotten up sooner, stayed up later or come up with some different plan. In my heart I wanted to have time with the Lord, but not only was I dealing with many young siblings with needs that often couldn’t wait, but I was also dealing with back to back pregnancies, late night breast feeding and the general weariness that comes with being a MOMY.
Would I do it again? Absolutely! What I am enjoying now is worth it and more. The life I enjoy now is a direct result of spending so much time and physical energy investing in little people that could give little in return. This morning, my husband and I are in California with just our youngest child. Yesterday, we thoroughly enjoyed a day at the Monterey Aquarium. We had not planned on going, but our older children wanted to give us money to go there, so we enjoyed a day at their expense!
Now, I realize something that I did not fully realize then. That is, God is not standing ready to punish the MOMY that wants and actually misses that special time with the Lord because she couldn’t make it happen. He is not standing there criticizing me because I did not get up early enough because the baby cried so much in the night. He is not there critically marking down how many times the devotions were less than satisfactory because I couldn’t hide away somewhere and have peace and quiet to concentrate for a few minutes. Back then, the idea of a prayer closet sounded wonderful-- just give me any closet by myself for a few minutes to restore my sanity!
God was watching and knowing that all along there was a desire in my heart, often made stronger by my circumstances, to spend that time with him. He knew that instead of carelessly skipping opportunities to spend time with Him, I actually more eagerly looked forward to the times when I could slip in a few extra moments of peace and quiet. I know more now than I did then that God knows. He knows where I am, and He knows the conditions I find myself in. He knows when the baby wakes up in a “mess” before I get my Bible time, and He knows when my mind can’t stay alert any longer because I am weary from the struggles of the day.
Am I excusing laziness, lack of discipline, or lack of love for the Lord? I don’t think so. The same God that knew when I couldn’t meet with him also knows when I can and choose not to. He knows when I am weary because I stayed up late the night before in frivolous activities. He knows when I choose to get up early and go shopping before spending time with Him. He knows when it is not my true heart’s desire to meet with Him, and when I am using flimsy excuses to cover my true lack of love and lukewarmness toward Him.
It is reassuring, and it develops a proper fear of God to realize that “God knows” and His knowledge is far purer and holier than ours. When I think that “every one of us shall give an account of himself to God,” I can both rest in the assurance and stand in the fear of God knowing that He really does know.
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