Colossians 3: 23

It's one of the scripture's in my Bible that I highlighted years ago. It's the scripture that I've quoted many times. It's the scripture that is sent with every e-mail at work. It's the scripture that I can't get out of my head!


Today I wasn't having one of the best days. It was just one of those days when I didn't feel like giving my all. I wanted to do a half-hearted job like everyone else and call it a day so that I could go home and do something easy. Then I heard it, "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;" So I sat back down at my desk, pulled my project back out, and worked on it some more. I can do this.

Hours later I was working on yet another project which I wasn't enjoying so much. "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;" . . . Lord, did you really have to put that scripture in the Bible?


Now I'm at home dusting my room like I do every week. I know that this is the last thing on my chore list so the sooner I get done the sooner I can do what I want to do. "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;" So I wiped down each tea pot and dusted underneath every piece of paper on my desk and put away my candles that were misplaced . . . and it felt good.

We are serving the Lord
When I began to meditate on this scripture I realized that it has several purposes. The first one is listed in the next verse, "Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ." When I am at work entering codes into the computer or when I am at home dusting my room I am serving God. By doing my best I am obeying God's Word and pleasing Him who bought me with his blood. Our heavenly reward (the one that really counts) will be great if we do everything as unto the Lord.

We can shine our light
A great benefit that comes from obeying this scripture is one that everyone can recognize. Others see that we are dedicated and a hard worker and they wonder at it. In a world where everyone is looking for the easy way out, an easy solution, and are satisfied with a half-hearted job, we Christian's can shine forth like bright lights for Christ. God will open up doors because of our faithfulness, for we all know that everyone prefers a hard worker in time of need whether it be in a church program, helping someone organize their home, decorating the church, or cleaning our neighbor's yard. At first they only see our good works but God may allow us to show them the One behind them all, the one who is driving us to give our best in all that we do. We have the opportunity to build a good reputation and turn it around to glorify God.

Earthly Rewards

The benefit of this command doesn’t stop with God's reward or the opportunities it creates to serve God; it also makes our life on earth more enjoyable. In my own life, when I know that I've worked hard all day I can take pride in my work and feel good about the way my time was spent. When I know that I did everything to the best of my ability I don’t have any regrets. I can rest in the knowledge that I pleased God and it gives me the courage to keep doing my best, knowing that the more diligent I become the easier it will be to do the right thing.

I still may not feel like giving my all at everything I do, but the more I meditate on it the more I believe that working as unto the Lord will open up opportunities to serve . . . and that's worth everything!

Being Fully Persuaded

Written in December of 2010

For the past week I've been reading about all the miracles God did through Peter and the other disciples and the sermons they preached to the Jews. Even though I've read it before I am seeing a lot of things I don't remember. Instead of just reading the story, I'm seeing the attitudes and perseverance that I never took notice of until now. I'm seeing some characteristics that I need to adopt in my own life.

The disciples didn't have an easy road to travel being some of the first ones to bring the Gospel to the Jews. (Being the first is never easy.) Just think, the people of Israel probably thought they wouldn't hear no more of Jesus once they crucified him. Now they were hearing his name and seeing the effects of his greatness every where they went. It disturbed the Pharisees and Sadducee's to see all the sick healed and the joy that must have came with it. They were so wrapped up in the law and couldn't let loose of it. But I'm not going to spend a lot of time talking about the Sadducee's because that's not what got my attention.

The apostles were thrown into prison for all the miracles God was performing and for teaching the Jews about Christ. The Bible then says, "But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught." Acts 5: 19-21a) The first thing that came to my mind was, 'Wow, they didn't even take a day off to get over their imprisonment.' They didn't sit around for a day to pray about it and see if they really were in God's will. The Bible doesn't say they questioned the angel or discussed it among themselves. They went into the temple within hours, and taught. They went right back to what they've always been doing because they knew that was what God wanted them to do. They were fully persuaded.

Of course we can always say "If I had seen Jesus after he was raised from the dead, or if I had been filled with the Holy Ghost at Penticost, and if I had been spoken to by an angel . . . I would be fully persuaded too." But we do have the scriptures. We have felt the joy of Christ in our heart and seen the things that God can do through others. We know what God wants us to do because it's written in his Word, yet we often find ourselves doubting if what we are doing is the right thing. It's time that we become fully persuaded.

Youth Camp: 4-week Perspective

Today I was looking again at the pictures I took at camp. I look at them over and over because I want to be reminded of the great time we had and all that took place. I want to get a glimpse of the great spirit that was there all week. Pure and innocent.

It's been four weeks since we got back from camp. The first two weeks I was doing really good; many teens in our youth group were excited about serving God and it kind of spilled over into the whole church for a time. We had zeal! I wanted to hold onto that excitement so bad because I guess in the back of my mind I knew it wouldn't last forever . . . but I wanted it to. I thought that if I read my Bible enough, prayed enough, and stayed away from wickedness as much as possible then I would be eager to serve God every day and I would always be filled with an abundance of love for Christ. And I tried to do just that.

But it didn't work.

Once I was back from camp I had to go back to work. That meant I heard cussing (thankfully, it's not very often), I saw immodest dress, I saw lots of attitude, I saw coldness towards anything Godly, I heard worldly music when I went into the grocery store and restaurants, I was tempted to turn the TV on, and I was encouraged to just do what feels right. I no longer went to church twice a day, I didn't listen to 3-4 sermons within 24 hours, I wasn't around many Christians, I wasn't in an atmosphere that shunned County music and cussing, I didn't have the chance to pray with 10-60 like minded Christians throughout the day, I wasn't in a place that encouraged girls to dress modest, and I wasn't constantly reminded to read my Bible and pray. I was no longer at Bible camp and it was evident!

The first day that I didn't feel like spending 30 minutes in prayer I was discouraged. Only two weeks and already I'm slacking? But then I started thinking about an illustration a preacher once gave. Did you know that before the flood there was a canopy of water that surrounded the earth? This canopy would shield off any harmful radiation that came from outer space. This meant that people would live much longer. This makes sense when you realize that Adam lived to be 930 years old and Methuselah lived 969 years, yet after the flood the age expectancy dropped dramatically. It is also believed that plants also thrived and grew much larger and stronger all because of the environment they were in.

That's kind of how I think of camp verses the world we live in every day. At camp we are shielded from as much wickedness as possible. No TV, no secular music, no immodest dress, etc. Because we are not exposed to those sinful attractions we are free to live for God to the greatest extent. Christians should thrive in that kind of atmosphere. But once that shield is broken we have to live in a totally different atmosphere that effects every part of our lives.

But this doesn't mean that we should give into the struggles of this world and live for Christ half-heartedly. It just means that we have to try harder. Christian living isn't being given to us like it was at camp so we have to get it our self.  It isn't as easy, but it can be done. We may not be as excited, but we still need to serve God with everything that we have. We have to read our Bible and pray when we don't feel like it, we have to make our self smile when we're singing at church, and we have to go out of our way to seek what God wants us to do.

And as always . . . be reminded of the good days at camp.

Something Else to Do

It was Chirstmas time and I felt overwhelmed. I had so many people to buy for, gifts to make, gifts to wrap, parties to go to and food to cook for those parties, along with everything else that goes on in life. I was ready for things to slow down.

Shortly after Christmas it was time to get Relay for Life fundraisers going. That meant brownies to bake for the bakesales, flyers to print for advertisement, carnivals to help organize, more baking to do, and lot of meetings to attend.

While in the middle of raising money for the Cancer Society a lady I work with was about to retire and I was volunteered to compile a scrapbook for her, a service that I hated to turn down. So things got even busier.

Now all of those activities are over and my life has calmed down to a slower pace . . . but not for long. The garden is already requiring some attention and before long we will be picking green beans, freezing corn, and canning tomatoes. A revival in our area is coming  up, I'm going on a 4 day trip out of town, and there is always studying to do.

I'm starting to see that life never slows down, really. Once it gets going it doesn't like to stop. I realize I'm not even close to being as busy as some people are, but for the place and time I am in life right now, this is busy.

I'm also starting to see that it's good to stay busy. When I'm busy I get more everyday things done and I'm more likely to be content with my life. When I don't have much to do I dread doing chores and I have more time to think about the negative things in my life. I also become a little selfish since I have more time to do things for myself.

So that is why I am looking forward to the projects that lie ahead and finding things to do now.

"Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest." Proverbs 6:6-8

There is Still Hope!

A few years ago I stumbled across an artical that described four personality types that most people have. Until then I had read nothing about this subject. I was very excited to find out that lots of people have my personality type and that there is actually a reason that I am the way I am! It was like I finally understood that I can't help my quirky little ways I've had for ever and ever.

I'm what they call a Solid, also known as a Phlegmatic. It is not uncommon to find such a person lying under a shade tree on a cool day peacefully reading a book or sipping a glass of limonaid while listening to the birds chirp. We love to relax and we seek peace above all else. One person described us as "laid back, easy going, nonchalant." I personally think that procrastination can be fit into the description too!

So it's no wonder that in days gone by I've chosen to read a book when there were chores to do, play the piano when there were desserts to be baked, or daydreamed on a beautiful day when there were more productive things I could have been doing. That is the way God made me, but all the time I realized that there were some areas I could work on.

Mama has always told me that when she was young she was the same way, but for some reason that didn't give me much hope. I guess I felt like I would always be a procrastinator who always had things to do but never felt like doing them. It seems like a long and hard road to dilligence.

But this past week I have started to see a change! Of course from time to time I have my little dilligent spirts, but this one has lasted a long time . . . and I'm enjoying it! I have been busy cleaning and organizing my room, cooking and baking, dusting, vacuuming, writing, and quilting. What amazes me most is the lists I'm keeping! For a girl who has always despised keeping a "to do list", I'm actually learning to appreciate it's purpose! This makes me think there's still hope for me after all! I now know that I can be as dilligent as mama if I try hard enough! I like to call it "Delightfully Dilligent" because I'm always happier when I keep my hands busy doing productive things.

So to all solid/phlegmatics out there in the world: There is hope! Keep working hard and you can achieve dilligence just as I have!

Delightful Dilligence

"He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand:

but the hand of the diligent maketh rich."

Proverbs 10:4

For the first time in a while I am seeing the

true joy one can get out of being diligent.

It is so nice to stay busy and be

able to see the work I have done and all that

I have accomplished. Diligence

really is delightful!

"For Satan finds some mischief still

for idle hands to do." ~ Issac Watts

You Can Do It!

Sunday night my
pastor preached an
excellent sermon. (But now that I mentioned it . . . when doesn't he?) Although the focus was on keeping your heart right, the message I got from it was "You can do it!" He stated that if you really want to do it - really set your mind to it-you can! You can accomplish anything that you desire if God is in it and with His help. You can be a great wife, a wonderful mother, live a life that affects others for the good, perfect your talents, or know a lot about the Bible. I'm sure you have things that you want to do or be going through your head right now. You can do it! When I hear that, I become amazed! I suppose it is because I sometimes focus too much on my failures and I feel like there is no chance that I can be "that"! But when I thought about it, I asked myself, "Why can't I? What is the difference between me and others who have accomplished great things?"

Others have not succeeded because they had a better education. In the day that we live in, we can all have a great education. The difference is not in the family they were born in. There have been many people that have come from poor, low society, degraded individuals. The difference is diligence.

That's the part we don't like to hear. If we want to accomplish great things for God, we have to be determined that we WILL . . . no matter what! We have to be willing to sacrifice, work hard at it, and go through some unpleasant times. If you want to be a great wife, you have to search the Bible diligently to find the qualities you need to have, you have to listen and heed God's voice when he speaks, you have apply what you have learned to your life. This is the method for success in almost every area. If you want to perfect your talents, (whether they be musical, people related, or some other) you have to practice every day, hard and long. It's not easy, but the results are remarkable!

Around this time of year a lot of people set goals or resolutions. I thought about not even setting any resolutions this year because I fail more than I accomplish. But instead of giving up, maybe we should try again - with a new mind set. Be determined that we CAN do it, and we WILL do it! This 2008 can be the best year of our lives . . . if we want it to be. Whether we enjoy this year or not is completely up to us. What are you going to do?

Working Towards Love

Every morning I have been reading through Psalms along with another book of the Bible. This morning I came to Psalms 119. I’ve read it before, but this morning I saw it in a different light. I was struck at how much this man loved the Lord through the way he declared his obedience to God throughout the whole chapter. “With my whole heart I have sought thee,” “I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.” “I will run the way of thy commandments,” “O how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day.” ” I forsook not thy precepts.” “Teach me the, O Lord, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end.” This man sought God with diligence!

Obeying God is not always the easiest thing to do. Our flesh wants to do what pleases us, and it is hard not to give in. We say we love God, but we don’t obey his every command. We say we love Him more than anyone else in the world, yet we don’t meditate on him “all the day.” The reason we are not as close to God as this man in Psalms, is because a close relationship with God requires hard work. It requires us to give up our own desires and do as God directs. It means doing things we don’t want to do. We have to diligently seek him, and no one wants to do anything that asks us to work hard.

To have a love for God that is strong and faithful, we have to be determined that we are not going to quit. We may fall, but we have to get up again! Even this man fell in his stride toward God. (“Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.”) Proverbs 24:17 says, “For a just man falleth seven times and riseth up again.”

It is hard to obey God’s every command and resist the flesh, but the rewards are abundant. When we read this chapter it is clear to see that this man’s life is filled with joy. Joy that only God can give to those who love him! It is worth it! All the hard work, all the times we have to do things we would rather not do, all the times we have to make ourselves obey God in the toughest situations . . . it’s all worth it! Nothing can be more satisfying then having a close relationship with God. Go for it! For “thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.”