When you don't feel significant...
Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. Proverbs 16:3
This time of year always gets my stomach in knots. I get a little anxious about the new year coming up.
I reflect on the past year, and I have that gnawing feeling, again, that my life just doesn't seem significant.
Ever feel this way?
As I was mopping my floors today, my left side started to ache from bending over with the mop.
My mind was suddenly filled with this scripture, "Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."1 Corinthians 10:31
I smiled and said to the Lord audibly, "Okay, God, I am mopping these floors for you."
I was reminded in that moment that what I was doing was significant. It mattered.
The world would never know that I took so much care and time to mop my floor for my family, but God knew.
I don't clean and mop because I am a neat freak. I do it because I want my family to feel loved. And welcomed. And warm when they walk through the door each day.
To be honest, most days they have no idea the things I have done each day to try to make this home a place of calm and comfort for them, And, that's okay.
God knows.
One of the biggest struggles I have is feeling like my life matters. Is important. Is significant.
Often, I get my significance tangled up with the world's view of significance.
I forget that in God's eyes...
I am significant.
And so are the things that I do.
All of it.
The tiniest details of my day matter to Him.
Do I honor Him with these details, or am I constantly trying to drum up greater significance for my own pride?
As I was mopping today, side aching, I heard a whisper in my soul..."They will remember. Your family will remember how well you loved them. "
I almost slipped on my wet floor.
My throat started to close, and tears welled up in my eyes.
Oh, Father. Let it be so.
When I start to feel insignificant...when I compare my accomplishments to others...
I go back to this memory....
Of being a little girl. Dreaming of the day I could have a family of my own. Driving my children to school each day. Packing their little lunches. Going home to prepare for their return...
God answered those child sized prayers. More than I could ever imagine.
It's not what we do that makes us significant...
It's Whose we are.
It's Who we belong to.
If we submit our work, toilet scrubbing and all, to the Lord...
He will make it matter. He will give us a return greater than we can imagine.
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Ephesians 3:20
His Kingdom will be expanded here on Earth because we chose to give our work to Him.
And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Philippians 1:6
You are worthy.
You are significant.
You matter.
back to the mop,
jill
This time of year always gets my stomach in knots. I get a little anxious about the new year coming up.
I reflect on the past year, and I have that gnawing feeling, again, that my life just doesn't seem significant.
Ever feel this way?
As I was mopping my floors today, my left side started to ache from bending over with the mop.
My mind was suddenly filled with this scripture, "Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."1 Corinthians 10:31
I smiled and said to the Lord audibly, "Okay, God, I am mopping these floors for you."
I was reminded in that moment that what I was doing was significant. It mattered.
The world would never know that I took so much care and time to mop my floor for my family, but God knew.
I don't clean and mop because I am a neat freak. I do it because I want my family to feel loved. And welcomed. And warm when they walk through the door each day.
To be honest, most days they have no idea the things I have done each day to try to make this home a place of calm and comfort for them, And, that's okay.
God knows.
One of the biggest struggles I have is feeling like my life matters. Is important. Is significant.
Often, I get my significance tangled up with the world's view of significance.
I forget that in God's eyes...
I am significant.
And so are the things that I do.
All of it.
The tiniest details of my day matter to Him.
Do I honor Him with these details, or am I constantly trying to drum up greater significance for my own pride?
As I was mopping today, side aching, I heard a whisper in my soul..."They will remember. Your family will remember how well you loved them. "
I almost slipped on my wet floor.
My throat started to close, and tears welled up in my eyes.
Oh, Father. Let it be so.
When I start to feel insignificant...when I compare my accomplishments to others...
I go back to this memory....
Of being a little girl. Dreaming of the day I could have a family of my own. Driving my children to school each day. Packing their little lunches. Going home to prepare for their return...
God answered those child sized prayers. More than I could ever imagine.
It's not what we do that makes us significant...
It's Whose we are.
It's Who we belong to.
If we submit our work, toilet scrubbing and all, to the Lord...
He will make it matter. He will give us a return greater than we can imagine.
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Ephesians 3:20
His Kingdom will be expanded here on Earth because we chose to give our work to Him.
And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Philippians 1:6
You are worthy.
You are significant.
You matter.
back to the mop,
jill
