Faithfulness In Those Little Things.

I've been thinking a lot about faithfulness.  About being faithful in the little things.  You know, the little things we do everyday; school work, chores, practicing music, and the list goes on.   Many times we overlook these things. We skim over them as unimportant.

We can get excited about doing the "big" things; the things that "hold significance." As young people, we can't wait until we can have our first job, go on a missions trip, go to college, serve in "ministry", or other "big" things like that.  There is nothing wrong with these things.  In fact, we should want to do these things, if it's according to the will of God.

But sometimes, I think that we get so caught up wanting to do those "big" things that we forget the important ministries that the Lord has given to right now.   We long for the day when we can serve the Lord as a missionary, but we complain about helping Mom in the kitchen.  We can't wait until we can get our first job, but we are lazy in our chores and helping Dad with projects.  We look forward to post-highschool education, but we don't excel in our studies in school.  We love serving in the church's nursery, but we don't find time to read a book or play with our little siblings.

Are we being faithful in the ministries and jobs the Lord has given to us? Or are we constantly longing to do something "bigger"? Let's not overlook the vital positions God has given to us in our homes.   We have the opportunity to serve and bless our families, encourage and disciple our siblings, develop our world-views and characters, learn valuable skills that will be with us for the rest of our lives, and much more.  If we don't do these things faithfully, how will we ever excel in whatever else the Lord may have in store for us?

Let's be content and thrive right where God's placed us.  Let's not hasten to go on to "bigger" things, but let's excel in the little things that God has given us to do right now.  They might seem insignificant, but they hold great value when they're done to the praise and glory of God.

May Jesus say of us:

"Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things."

"He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.  Therefore is you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you have not faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own?" Luke 16:10-12

"A faithful man will abound with blessings, but he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished"

Proverbs 28:20

  

The key to happiness is.........right here!

My family learned a lesson in thankfulness yesterday. There are some things we never think twice about and have very little appreciation for them...well, until they’re missing.

Since my older sister is home for spring break, we decided to hop in the car and drive to a nearby park to take a walk by the river. It was a beautiful spring day–60 degrees, sunny, breezy–you couldn’t ask for prettier weather. Since we were all together, we decided to leave all our cell phones behind and forget about technology for an hour. We had a lovely walk. Being together as a family and enjoying God’s creation at the same time was a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon. As we pulled into the garage though, the beauty and peace of the afternoon vanished. We couldn’t find any house keys. My mom thought my dad had them, my dad thought my older sister had them, my sisters thought I had them, and we all assumed my mom would have at least one. But alas, there was no key to be found. We walked over to the neighbor’s house (they have a spare), but they weren’t home. Since we didn’t have any cell phones, we couldn’t even call someone for help. So, we got back in the car, drove to my dad’s office, and spent several hours calling friends on the office phone until someone was able to help us find a key. By that point, our quick excursion had turned into a four-hour long adventure. All because we forgot a little piece of carved metal.

We’re all prone to forget how much we appreciate something until it’s gone. Good health, family, friends–unless something happens and we no longer have them, we rarely forget to say "Thank you" to God for them. Sometimes, the only time we think about these blessings is to complain that they’re not as nice as we want them to be! Instead of rushing to the next thing, we should rejoice in the present and thank God for everything He’s done for us. There are so many we should be thankful for, yet we often fall into the trap of seeing only the annoyances in life. When we can be praising God for the sun, we’re complaining that it’s too hot or bright. Maybe we should invest in a special pair of thanks-tinted sunglasses that will allow us to see things from God’s perspective. There is never a time when you can’t be thankful for at least one thing. When we’re surrounded by a whole universe of God’s creation–what He called good–why don’t we remember to thank Him for His gifts?

Adopted by God

It’s almost Christmas–the time when we celebrate a Baby’s birth. But more than that, we celebrate the life that we have because He lived. He lived on this earth, died a painful death, and rose again–all for us. The punishment we deserved for our sins was born by Him on the cross. Because He lived a sinless life and took our punishment, we live. Undeserving, ungrateful, sinful man becomes a child of God. We’re adopted from the world into the family of God.

It’s amazing thought, isn’t it? We hear it so often, though, that it starts to sound cliche. This year, my family has gotten a better understanding of this truth.

Some very dear friends of ours are going to adopt a little girl. The birth mother knows she can’t raise her. She’s living a very sinful life right now, and a baby wouldn’t fit in the picture very well. So instead, she is putting the baby up for adoption. My friends (who are a strong Christian, homeschooling family) are going to pay the price for this little girl and give her a different life. She will be taken out of home plagued by sin and placed in a home centered around Christ.

The baby on her own is helpless. Her new parents are willing to pay the price to bring her into their family. Because Christ loved them and brought them into His family, they want to share His grace and love with another.

Galatians 4:4-6--But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!"

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Please be praying for this family. The mother is not due for several weeks still, and although she chose this family, a lot could change. Please also pray that the mother will get to know Christ’s love.

Cooking lessons

I love when the seasons change...leaves turning colors, crisp fall breezes, fires flaming in the fireplace...and, best of all, pumpkin pie. My family loves pumpkin pie. So the first cool week in September, my mom and I made a double recipe of pumpkin pie. She rolled out crusts on one end of the kitchen while I mixed the filling on the other. It brought back memories of when we made the pies last September, and I carelessly flipped open the can of pureed pumpkin. My mom ended up finishing that pie since I promptly wrapped my finger in lots of band-aids. It wasn’t a big cut, but it was deep–deep enough for me to see a scar on my knuckle when I opened the can this year.

Ever since that pie last year, I have been very careful to follow my mom’s instructions when I’m cooking. Instead of opening and dumping cans as if I was competing in the international Rubik’s cube championship, I very carefully pry the lid open. That scar is enough to remind me not to be careless with sharp edges. I used to think my mom’s warnings were a little too cautious...after all, you can slide a finger over the sharp edge of a can without getting cut, so why waste time opening a can so slowly? But once I actually felt the consequences of being careless, I understood the importance of slowly working with sharp objects.

Isn’t it funny how we are so prone to thinking that we’re the ultimate authority on everything? Like Liesel said in Sound of Music: "I’m sixteen years old and I don’t need a governess!" Even respectful Christian teenagers can unintentionally get that attitude. It’s not that we’re trying to be disobedient, but we just assume we know more than our moms and dads do. And, what’s worse, we sometimes act–not that we would ever say this–like we know more than God does. No, we’re not out murdering and stealing in our free time, but what about getting angry at siblings or thinking we inherently deserve the biggest slice of pie? Our anger is not righteous indignation, and if you think you deserve anything–! We just don’t get it. When God gives us commandments, it’s for our own good! He doesn’t make up rules for the sake of rules; God gave us commandments that our for our good and His glory. But then, when we act like we’re smarter than He is, God sends us a reminder that He is infinitely wiser than our little finite minds. He sends us pain as the consequences of our foolishness. Now we remember that He knows better. As C. S. Lewis said once said in The Problem of Pain, "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world."

Pain is God’s megaphone to rouse a deaf world.

If we would only listen to those whispers in the pleasant times, we could avoid so much pain! But God is sovereign, and He plans our pains to make us grow.

Revelation 3:19–As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.

Apathy?

BUSY busy busy busy BUSY busy busy busy

Have you ever watched The Widow’s Might? If you have, you probably can hum along the melody to the "Busy" song. Soon after the townspeople beginning whispering "busy" and listing off their chores that must be done, the lone cowboy comes riding up. And then he sings (I forgot to mention–it’s a musical) the "Apathy" theme.

That is a bad description of the song, but it should give you the idea.

Business often leads us to apathy. You get so busy, you just don’t care too much about anything other than your busyness. Lately, I’ve been going around hearing "BUSY busy busy busy" in my head, while I’m going through a mental checklist: Write the paper and do the reading. Solve the problem and practice piano. Learn the verses and study 2 Peter. And then, the little cowboy (who I normally call my conscience), comes on stage and starts saying, "Apathy!" And I sigh, and try to get my priorities straightened out. I’m doing lots of good things; it’s not that I’m busy wasting time! But you can be apathetic even while you’re studying the Bible. You know how the conversation goes. It’s been a long day of school and you just sat down to study, and then your mom comes in and says,

"Are you busy right now? Can you help me in the kitchen for a few minutes?" You groan inwardly and attempt to smile outwardly. It’s a rhetorical question. Yes you are busy, and yes you will help.

"Um, sure...I was just reviewing a bunch of verses before I finish my homework." You try to say it cheerfully, but somehow a mildly sarcastic edge creeps in.

And I do help her for as long as she needs your help, and then, I dash back to the cards. Do you get the picture? I’m giving my mom the minimum. That’s apathy. I’m busy keeping up with everything else, so something is going to fall by the wayside.

By now, we’re all trying to keep up with a full school schedule, music or sports, church activities, and additional Bible Bee material. Talk about being busy! Maybe you’re even working part time and watching even more time get eaten up. You try so hard to do everything, but you just can’t keep up. Family time and helping around the house slips by unnoticed as the "busy apathy" sets in.

The purpose of the blog is to encourage each other and keep each other accountable in our studying...don’t get so busy with your studying that you become apathetic to your family!

Colossians 3:23-24–And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

P.S. I know I have written several similar posts about busyness recently, but it is something with which I struggle. I apologize if my writing is somewhat repetitive!