Who Are You Working For?

“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men” – Colossians 3:23.

I had the privilege last weekend of caring for my three granddaughters, ages 3, 4, and 8, while their parents were out of town for a wedding. The eight-year-old decided we should all draw pictures on “vanilla” paper and tape them together to make a long welcome home banner for Mom and Dad. All was going well until the three-year-old, who often marches to the beat of her own drum, pulled out a sheet of white paper much smaller than the other and was forbidden by older sister to use it. “No, Clara! You can’t use that! It won’t fit. We’re making these for Mom and Dad.”

No problem for Clara…”Well, I’m making my picture for God!” The other girls soon decided she had a good idea, (even though it couldn’t be a surprise since He would already see it) and a most interesting discussion ensued about how they would get their pictures to God.

Clara’s declaration reminded me of the verse in Colossians. So often we are bogged down in an unpleasant task or in working for an unpleasant taskmaster. We let our attitudes become negative and
fail to do our best. As Christians we should apply ourselves cheerfully to the task at hand, putting our heart into it. We should think of it as working for the Lord and not for men. Try it – it makes the load lighter, whatever the job at hand.

The next day we did crafts and Clara again made hers for God – a paper covered in glue and white feathers. Once she was finished she began asking her sisters questions:
“Can God see my picture?” (“Yes”)
“Does He like it?” (“Yes”)
“Does He know I wasted the glue? (“Yes!”)
“Is He sad?” (“Nah, He’s good.” ) This answer came from the same 4-year-old as the “Yes!”

Again, we can learn from a three-year-old. We should remind ourselves that God does see our work. We might ask:
Does He like what He sees?
Am I wasting the resources (time, talents, money) God gave me?
Is God happy with the choices I’ve made?
When I know I’ve messed up, can I accept His forgiveness as easily as a four-year-old?

“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men” – Colossians 3:23.

And by the way, Mom, there is now a banner, put together from multiple shapes, colors, and types of paper, neatly folded under your bed and waiting for the day I die because, “No offense, Nana, but we all know you’ll probably be the first one of us to die. Then the rest of us can bury it with you and you can give it to God when you get to heaven.”

Pipes, Pitchers, and Buckets…

 

My husband has several five gallon buckets he puts out to collect rainwater every time it rains.  He then later pours the water on his garden, hydrating the plants with rainwater rather than garden hose chemicals and saving a few pennies on the water bill at the same time.  Between rain and irrigation the buckets are kept covered because it is common knowledge on the Gulf Coast that buckets of water are a breeding ground for mosquitoes and who knows what else.  The fresh rain water soon turns stagnant, brown,  and smelly.

Last weekend I was in Tyler, Texas to bring home my mother who had spent the mother with my sister.  We worshipped with the Shiloh Road Church of Christ.  I don’t think I’ve ever visited there without being encouraged and bringing away something to enhance my spiritual walk.  This week the preacher, Mark Edge, referred back to a sermon he’d preached another time I had been there.  He spoke of being a conduit of God’s blessing instead of a receptacle – a pipe instead of a bucket.  God pours out His blessings on us continually and sometimes we just want to collect them, but like the rainwater that becomes stagnant, their real value is when they are passed on to others.

 

One of my favorite ladies’ Bible class lessons ever was taught by the late Sue Keevert, a dear and wise woman in the Angleton church.  She talked about how as women we are often pouring ourselves out to others and we have to take time to stop and refill our pitcher or we run out of something to give.  Her point was to take time to renew.  I still agree with her.  We must take time for that.  We have to have time for study and prayer – time with our Lord.

 

The pipe concept takes care of this, too.  Both ends are always open.  We are always open to God and His blessings.  We open ourselves to Him in study, prayer, time with fellow Christians and mentors.  We open ourselves to others to let the blessing flow through in giving of ourselves – our time, our money, our talents, our emotions – to others.

 

A friend recently challenged me to use blogging to the glory of God. I’ve never considered myself to be a talented writer, but perhaps God will use this as one way to open me transform me from bucket to pipe. Lord willing, I’ll be writing again soon.  Leave me a comment and let me know how the Lord has blessed you this week or how you’ve seen His blessings flow through someone…even yourself.

 

In His Service,

Jean