Your Work Never Goes Unseen

About five years ago, I spent months working on a book proposal. Various friends spent weeks helping me edit it. And then it was rejected by more publishers than I care to recount. Since then, it has sat forgotten tucked away in the depths of my computer files, and if it were possible, collecting dust.

I recently remarked to a friend that one of the hardest things about writing is when something isn't used. When hours are spent crafting just the right sentence, when I've woven my heart and soul into each paragraph, and it is never read, it makes all the time, effort, and energy seem like a waste. It's disheartening and discouraging.

But writing isn't the only thing I put energy into that no one sees. There are countless things throughout the day I work on that goes unnoticed by those around me. The laundry I fold and put away. The items I pick up off the floor and return to rightful homes. The time and effort I pour into my children's heart and spiritual growth. The intercessory prayers I pray for others. 

There are many things I sacrifice for and put energy into that go unnoticed. Things that I might invest in and never see fruit develop. Decisions and choices I make for the benefit of those around me. Sacrifices of time and effort to serve and provide for others. And sometimes I grow weary and wonder, is it worth it?

Friends, perhaps you grow weary too. After changing hundreds of diapers, cleaning up the house at the end of each day only to have to repeat it again the next, working hard at a job where no one seems to care, helping the unappreciative, or writing words no one sees, we can start to think, why bother? 

But here's the truth: 

God sees.

And all things done for his glory and in his name are never wasted. That includes the laundry we fold, the meals we prepare, and all the quiet, mundane acts of service we provide for our family. It includes the efforts to do the right thing when it would be easier not to. It includes working hard even when no one else cares to. It includes ceaseless prayers with a prostrate heart. And it includes even the strings of words that lie dormant on my hard drive. All work done for God's sake is good work, whether anyone sees it or not.  

This is what we are called to do, "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him" (Colossians 3:17). Our work is done for God's glory and fame, not our own. It's not done for the praise or accolades of man but for the sake of our Savior.

We work hard because Christ first worked for us. His holy, perfect, and righteous work in obeying the law in our stead was given to us. His sacrificial work on our behalf at the cross paid the penalty we were due. His work paved the way for all the work we do, the seen and unseen, the mundane and the spectacular, the boring and the interesting, the easy and the hard. Because of the work Christ did for us, all our work is done through him and for him.

"So ought you to behave this day, and every day; for you belong wholly to him who loved you, and gave himself for you. Let the love of Christ constrain us in this matter: let us put on the yoke of Christ, and feel at once that we are his blood-bought possession, and his servants for ever, because by faith he has become ours and we are his. We ought to live as Christ's men in every little as well as in every great matter; whether we eat or drink, or whatsoever we do, we should do all to the glory of God, giving thanks unto God and the Father by Christ Jesus. Thus, you see, faith in him who gave himself for us leads us to spend our energies in his service, and to do our ordinary work with an eye to his glory, and so our life is coloured and savoured by our faith in the Son of God."-Charles Spurgeon

And God promises that our work for him will not be wasted, "For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith" (Galatians 6:8-10). We are also assured that the work he is doing in and through us will be completed upon his return, "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6).

So friends, if you are working hard for the Lord, don't give up. Don't despair. All your work done for God's glory is storing up for you eternal treasures that far outweigh any accolades or acknowledgement in the here and now. None of it is wasted or lost. Your quiet faithfulness in all things, even in the unseen and in the monotonous and mundane, is seen by your Father in Heaven. So let your Savior's holy and sacrificial work for you be your motivation and joy for service. 

When We Fear Change

When you first have children, you quickly learn the importance of establishing a routine and some structure in their lives. Meal times and nap times are sacred. It’s always three stories before bed and Mr. Bear must lie next to the pillow, or life just isn’t right. Children thrive in a routine. And when things change, when anything changes, they are quick to let you know that they don’t like it.

The same is often true for us, as adults. We don’t like change either. We like things to be familiar and predictable. We like to know what to expect when we wake up each morning. But life is constantly changing.

Our kids seem to grow inches in a day. New gray hairs emerge every time we look in the mirror. The clothes we wore a year ago just don’t fit the way they used to. We lose jobs, relationships end, and churches transition or split. All while our society changes its values and mores as often as a preschooler changes into dress up clothes.

When such changes enter our life, it’s overwhelming, confusing, even terrifying. We can go to bed at night to one reality and wake up to a completely different life. Change can make us feel lost and abandoned, like we’ve been tossed overboard in the midst of a storm. We’re left reeling, trying to grab a hold of anything we can find that’s strong and stable. We’re tempted to run from change, as though we could ever escape it...to read the rest of this post, visit Desiring God. 

Hospitality is for All of Us

A friend recently thanked me for the hospitality I had extended to him and his family over the years. Feeling uncomfortable with the complement, I responded, “Actually, it’s my husband you need to thank. I learned it from him.” I think my comment surprised him. Perhaps because it seemed as though I’ve always had a heart for hospitality.

The truth is, for a long time hospitality was hard for me. I often thought that hospitality was something you only did when you were prepared and had all your ducks in a row. I thought that my home needed to be a certain size and my cooking skills up to a certain level. And just like Martha in Luke 10, I often stressed over the details of hospitality. I focused on whether there were enough chairs for everyone to sit on, each person’s unique dietary needs were met, and that the living room was spotless and the pillows lined up neatly on couch.

What I’ve learned from watching my husband seek out the lonely and invite them into our home is that biblical hospitality has nothing to do with those things. Rather, the heart of hospitality is about sharing our lives for the sake of others, just as Christ did for us...

To read the rest of this post, visit the Christward Collective.

When You Are Always Expecting the Worst

I saw a television show recently where one of the characters remarked that because things were going so well in his life, he anticipated something bad to happen any minute. He told his friends that that "universe always balances things out." I laughed to myself as I watched the show, thinking what a ridiculous idea that was.

But not too long later, I found myself thinking something similar. I was thinking about how God had answered my twenty-year prayer to move as well as made my dream to write a book a reality. Two blessings had occurred in my life and my first thought was, "I wonder what trial lies around the corner?"

While not the exact same thinking as the character on the television show, it was similar nonetheless. I assumed that God needed to round out the blessings in my life with something hard. As though there is a limit to how many blessings he gives. As though there is a formula to how he works in my life. As though he is an impersonal God who gives out blessings and trials for no other reason than to keep the scales balanced.

To be truthful, I am an Eeyore by nature. I tend to see the dark side of things and expect the worst. I see the glass as half empty rather than half full. And so it comes as no surprise that I would barely take the time to enjoy the gifts I've been given before I pessimistically anticipate a storm brewing in the distance. 

But I don't like living life that way. It sucks the joy right out of me. Not only that, but the thoughts I had were wrong and I needed to confront them. I had to remind myself the truth of who God is. I had to remember that everything God gives is out of the overflow of his grace whether it is an answer to prayer, a hard day, a dream come true, or a difficult trial. In each and every moment of my life God is working to transform me into the image of his Son. In both the blessings and in the trials, he is refining me and preparing me for eternity. There is a redemptive purpose behind every circumstance I encounter in life; all things are for my good and his glory.

I also needed to confess those thoughts to the Lord. I asked for his forgiveness for viewing him as an impersonal God who merely works to even out the blessings in my life rather than the God who gave up every blessing in heaven to take on human flesh and live in this fallen world so that he could endure the worst suffering on my behalf. And by his blood shed for me, give me the greatest blessing of all--eternity with him. 

Perhaps you also tend to see the dark side things. Maybe it is hard for you to enjoy the sweet sunshine today because you fear a storm will come tomorrow. In those moments, we must remember who our God is and how he works. We must recite this truth over and over until it becomes the song of our heart, 

"If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:31-39).

Social Media, Loneliness, and Community

It was eight years ago when an old college friend sent me an email that said, “You need to join Facebook.” Intrigued by the idea of connecting with people I hadn’t seen in years, I joined. Little did I know how much a website could form and shape my life. Since then I’ve accumulated more friends than I’ll ever know in person. I learn about politics and international news from my constantly moving feed. I see pictures of my nieces and vacation photos of friends. I also read opinions on nearly everything, from the serious to the ridiculous.

Since that day eight years ago, a lot has happened in social media. There are more options to connect virtually with other people than ever before. Don’t want to read paragraph long updates? Try Twitter. Prefer to just look at pictures? Try Instagram. Want to send messages that self-destruct? Try Snapchat.

Lonely Among so Many Friends

You’d think that with all the options to connect with people 24/7, we would feel closer to our friends. You’d think we would feel more loved. You’d think we’d be less lonely. In fact, you’d think that if we were struggling in our life, because we have such a broad network of connections, we’d feel loved and supported by the multitudes...to read the rest of this post, visit the ERLC, my writing home today. 

Making a Correction

As a writer, I make many mistakes. I make punctuation and spelling errors. I make content errors. I write things that aren't clear. I write things and then wish I hadn't. Sometimes my editors catch the errors before a piece is published. Sometimes a friend will spot a mistake in a blog post and I can go back in a fix it. But when something is published in a book, it's not that easy to go back and change it. 

So when a reader kindly pointed out a concerning statement in my book, A Heart Set Free, I decided to write this blog post in an effort to point it out for other readers. It's in the chapter titled, "Jesus and the Psalms" where I write about how the Psalms point to Christ. On page 74 it reads, "While during the Old Testament era, the Psalms were sung to Yahweh, God the Father, it is appropriate for us as Christians to sing and pray these Psalms to Jesus the Son." Some might read the statement and think that I am saying that God the Father and God the Son are not one. It could be read as non-Trinitarian. This was not my intention and I apologize for the error. The section should have gone on to say that as Yahweh is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and because the Psalms are ultimately about Christ, and because Jesus is the second person of the Trinity and is fully God, we can sing the Psalms and laments to him.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. And thanks for reading!