Do it well.....
During the Summer days, I have the opportunity to have many "teaching" moments with my children.
These are not my children's favorite days.
Their hearts are not always giddy with excitement to hear another lesson from their mama.
Go figure.
One of these teaching days became a lesson for my heart, just as much as theirs. Isn't that always the case?
The day started with chores for my kids and for myself. We had just returned from vacation and there was much to do. Unpacking, laundry, grocery shopping, blah, blah, blah.
I noticed my children were not thrilled about their day full of chores.
I also noticed the things that I asked them to do were not done well.
They had half-heartedly done these chores and it showed.
Not only were the chores not done well, but they apparently left their good attitudes in Orlando where we had just returned from.
The thing is, my attitude was on the same level as theirs. I was ill. Discontented. And, just not thrilled about coming back from the happiest place on Earth to regular life as a house wife with a house full of kids on these longggg Summer days.
Before I talked to my kids, I sat on my back porch and talked to Jesus.
I asked Him to give me joy in these days. I asked Him to give me a thankful heart on the days that were long and there was much to do, and little fun to be had.
A bible story came into my mind almost immediately as I was praying.
14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,[a] each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’
21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
2
2 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’
23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags.
29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Matthew 25:14-30
I underlined the words that stood out to me as I was sitting on my back porch praying.
Well done.
Well done.
Those words were ringing in my ears.
Sometimes, I don't do things well. I just do them to get them done. My heart is not in it. I grumble, I moan, I complain, and I am lazy at times with the things I need to do.
My attitude affects my performance.
Why not do everything well?
Why do I pick and choose the things I want to do well in?
What if in everything, I chose to do well.
Not perfect, but well.
This was what had been missing in my kids hearts, and in mine.
We were just drudging through.
We were not choosing to do our chores well.
We were just going through the motions to get them done.
I though about my parenting. My marriage. My friendships. My house work. My exercise. My eating. My serving. My chores.
What if in everything I put my hand to, I chose to do it well.
A light had been shed upon the discontent and grumbling of my heart.
God had shone a revelation into the cracks of my attitude that needed some major adjusting.
I jumped up, sat my children down on the couch and shared with them my heart about all of this doing well stuff that God had just revealed to me.
I told them there will be many, many days and jobs and chores that seem pointless.
But, if we do them well, God will see. He will reward us because we have been faithful with the small things.
I told them that they may be in a job one day, and they may hate it. But, do your job well. Instead of wishing you were somewhere else, do the job in front of you well. God may be preparing you for the next job. Prove faithful where you are.
Doing what we have at the moment well, determines our next step.
If we don't do well with little, we will never do well with much.
Ahhh!
So simple, yet so profound.
Am I faithful with the money I do have, or am I always wishing for more?
Am I faithful with the body that I have at the moment, feeding it well, exercising it well, or am I just always wishing for another body?
Am I faithful with my job, do I show up on time, and do well? Or, do I just get by because it's not my dream job and I just want to bide my time. Doing well at this job, will determine my next job.
Am I doing well with being a mama? Or do I just try to get through each day in one piece.
Am I doing well with being a wife? Or am I just going through each day sulking and wishing my life were different.
Am I faithful with the small house I have, or do I complain and dream of a bigger house and bigger lifestyle?
Could it be that we will never, ever get the greater blessing , if we don't do well with the small?
God is not looking for perfection. Jesus fulfills that role.
He only wants us to do well with what we have.
So, the next day, I was leaning over the sink doing a boat load of dishes.
I decided to take my time. To wash those dishes well.
I prayed as I washed them. I thanked God for the people that had eaten off of those dishes.
My attitude suddenly changed.
Oh, how I long to hear the words of my Father in Heaven, "well done, my good and faithful servant".
What is on your agenda today?
Do it well.
It changes everything.
doing well,
jill
These are not my children's favorite days.
Their hearts are not always giddy with excitement to hear another lesson from their mama.
Go figure.
One of these teaching days became a lesson for my heart, just as much as theirs. Isn't that always the case?
The day started with chores for my kids and for myself. We had just returned from vacation and there was much to do. Unpacking, laundry, grocery shopping, blah, blah, blah.
I noticed my children were not thrilled about their day full of chores.
I also noticed the things that I asked them to do were not done well.
They had half-heartedly done these chores and it showed.
Not only were the chores not done well, but they apparently left their good attitudes in Orlando where we had just returned from.
The thing is, my attitude was on the same level as theirs. I was ill. Discontented. And, just not thrilled about coming back from the happiest place on Earth to regular life as a house wife with a house full of kids on these longggg Summer days.
Before I talked to my kids, I sat on my back porch and talked to Jesus.
I asked Him to give me joy in these days. I asked Him to give me a thankful heart on the days that were long and there was much to do, and little fun to be had.
A bible story came into my mind almost immediately as I was praying.
14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,[a] each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’
21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
2
2 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’
23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags.
29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Matthew 25:14-30
I underlined the words that stood out to me as I was sitting on my back porch praying.
Well done.
Well done.
Those words were ringing in my ears.
Sometimes, I don't do things well. I just do them to get them done. My heart is not in it. I grumble, I moan, I complain, and I am lazy at times with the things I need to do.
My attitude affects my performance.
Why not do everything well?
Why do I pick and choose the things I want to do well in?
What if in everything, I chose to do well.
Not perfect, but well.
This was what had been missing in my kids hearts, and in mine.
We were just drudging through.
We were not choosing to do our chores well.
We were just going through the motions to get them done.
I though about my parenting. My marriage. My friendships. My house work. My exercise. My eating. My serving. My chores.
What if in everything I put my hand to, I chose to do it well.
A light had been shed upon the discontent and grumbling of my heart.
God had shone a revelation into the cracks of my attitude that needed some major adjusting.
I jumped up, sat my children down on the couch and shared with them my heart about all of this doing well stuff that God had just revealed to me.
I told them there will be many, many days and jobs and chores that seem pointless.
But, if we do them well, God will see. He will reward us because we have been faithful with the small things.
I told them that they may be in a job one day, and they may hate it. But, do your job well. Instead of wishing you were somewhere else, do the job in front of you well. God may be preparing you for the next job. Prove faithful where you are.
Doing what we have at the moment well, determines our next step.
If we don't do well with little, we will never do well with much.
Ahhh!
So simple, yet so profound.
Am I faithful with the money I do have, or am I always wishing for more?
Am I faithful with the body that I have at the moment, feeding it well, exercising it well, or am I just always wishing for another body?
Am I faithful with my job, do I show up on time, and do well? Or, do I just get by because it's not my dream job and I just want to bide my time. Doing well at this job, will determine my next job.
Am I doing well with being a mama? Or do I just try to get through each day in one piece.
Am I doing well with being a wife? Or am I just going through each day sulking and wishing my life were different.
Am I faithful with the small house I have, or do I complain and dream of a bigger house and bigger lifestyle?
Could it be that we will never, ever get the greater blessing , if we don't do well with the small?
God is not looking for perfection. Jesus fulfills that role.
He only wants us to do well with what we have.
So, the next day, I was leaning over the sink doing a boat load of dishes.
I decided to take my time. To wash those dishes well.
I prayed as I washed them. I thanked God for the people that had eaten off of those dishes.
My attitude suddenly changed.
Oh, how I long to hear the words of my Father in Heaven, "well done, my good and faithful servant".
What is on your agenda today?
Do it well.
It changes everything.
doing well,
jill
