You know another thing I have a seriously hard time with? I have a very hard time doing everything joyfully for the Lord. Sometimes I have a really hard time scrubbing dishes, vacuuming, mopping, cleaning up after others... The list goes on of things that I really get tired of.
"Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless."
-Philippians 2:14-16
There are many times that I have read in the word to do everything unto the Lord. To be glad in all that you do. To put all your faith in him and go about your work with gladness. The list goes on... And it's a rude awakening for someone like me who wants everyone to divide up work equally, to slack off sometimes, to just sit on my butt and watch a Disney movie... There are many things I would like to do rather than things that I have to do. That's especially true today. I just don't feel like taking care of things in my house that need to be done. I don't feel like cleaning up the living room, hunting down where all of my forks went, cleaning the baseboards, doing a load of dishes. I don't feel like doing my homework or anything. I would just honestly like to curl up with a good book and forget about the worries of this world for a day or two.
I guess the feeling is overwhelmed. It's hard for me to balance being a house-student and a college-student. I have all the responsibilities of having my own place, yet I have all the responsibilities of a college student. And I feel like if I spend too much time doing one thing, another thing gets put aside which is equally important.
The passage from Matthew today gave the parable of the man who trusted bags of silver to his servants. Right now, I'm taking that as being an analogy for time. The man who was given 5 bags of silver invested his time well, he worked hard, and he did his duties with gladness and hopefulness. He doubled his return and pleased the master. By investing the time and energy he did, he really reaped his reward. Same with the second servant who was only given two bags of silver. He doubled his rewards as well. The man who was given only one bag of silver did nothing with it. He protected it out of fear. He didn't take chances. He didn't invest his time or energy well. And he paid for it. You get what you put in, and he got laziness and the fruits of his spirit and reward didn't multiply.
"To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away."
-Matthew 29:25
I know that I really need to use my time wisely, to honor God with my actions, and sow many seeds--whether that be housework or schoolwork. The rewards of my "work" in general will multiply, I know it. I know that I need to stop complaining about things that I must do.. Even in my heart. I mean, this morning, all I did while putting my dinner in the crockpot was complain about all of the work I had to do and everything that I still had to do. All I did was become bitter and resentful through my thoughts--thinking about how I am just going to be stubborn and not do anything that needs to be done. I was NOT going to take out the trash, or do the dishes, or wipe off the counters, or pick up the mess in the living room, or anything. "It's not my responsibility," as I was saying in my head.
Well guess what... It is my responsibility. God has made that perfectly clear this morning. Definitely giving the Matthew passage to me this morning was what God was trying to tell me. God have given me five bags of silver, and what I do with that is up to me. But if I want to be praised by my master, if I want to reap the rewards that he offers, then it's up to me to invest it wisely.
"If you do not serve the LORD your God with joy and enthusiasm for the abundant benefits you have received, you will serve your enemies whom the LORD will send against you. You will be left hungry, thirsty, naked, and lacking in everything. The LORD will put an iron yoke on your neck, oppressing you harshly until he has destroyed you. "
-Deuteronomy 28:47-48
There it is. You can't argue with God's word.
I suppose now I need to work on the thoughts that give me those feelings of bitterness and work on changing my heart..
God bless,
Lauren
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