Heart Reflections Live

Anyone who is a Stay-at-Home-Mum (especially with toddlers), knows how busy things can get. Between preparing meals, cleaning house, taking little ones to the potty, washing, ironing, disciplining them, teaching & training them, along with all the unexpected messes & accidents that tend to happen at the most inconvenient of times, life can be hectic.

Now I know that no-one would say that they dislike mothering, or dislike their children, but how do you feel about the work that goes with it? No-one can deny that children create work! But is the work that goes with Motherhood a burden or a joy?

This is one area where I'd really been losing focus in past weeks."Work" became a burdensome duty to be rushed through, so I could read to my children, or do this or that,something more enjoyable.

God pulled me up last week while I was ironing...
Let's look at some Scriptures on work, labour, & toil...

Ecc 2:24 There is nothing better for a man,than that he should eat & drink, & that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.

Ecc 5:12 The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

So firstly, work is good for us. God says so. It's amazing how affected we can become from our leisure-chasing culture.

Our attitude to work too is important...
Prov 31:27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, & eateth not the bread of idleness.

Col 3:23-24 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, & not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

1 Cor 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

This is where the Lord really convicted me. The most menial tasks we do about the house, can be done with a smile for we are serving the Lord Christ & doing it for the glory of God!

I was reminded of a book I read years ago,"The Practice of the Presence of God" by Brother Lawrence. He was a monk back in the days when everyone was Roman Catholic. He cultivated a deeply personal relationship with Christ, by making every chore an act of worship to God. And that's what we need to do...

The last item I ironed that day was a pretty dress of Zara's- and I enjoyed it! I enjoyed seeing each wrinkle disappear. I found the joy of the Lord while doing the job- not just in finishing it. If only I'd done the rest of the ironing with the same unburdened attitude!

We can become so obsessed with completing our tasks, we miss out on the joy we can have in performing them.

There is a joy to be found in the journey that's a taste of future glory to come. Let's not miss it!!