I’ll admit that I have often read about the “highly praised” woman of Proverbs 31 and left feeling:

Intimidated – How does she DO all that she does?
Exhausted – How does she DO all that she does?
Overwhelmed – I could never DO all she does!

I have done wrongly by comparing myself with this woman in history. Instead, I’ve been trying lately to come to her description with more:

Humility – Scripture describes her as a woman worth emulating, so what can I learn from her?

Open-minded and teachable – (rather than dejected – I could never be like her! or critical – she needs more rest and margin in her life!) I can look beyond the fact that she made all her clothes and bed linens by hand and see a woman who believed in what she was doing.

Proverbs 31:17-18 in the Message version of the Bible describes her as such: “First thing in the morning, she dresses for work, rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started. She senses the worth of her work, is in no hurry to call it quits for the day.”

She woke up energized to start her day because she saw the great value in her work.

In All Work There Is Profit

We all have been entrusted with work – a plot of land to plow, a portfolio of accounts to manage, a crew of little people to nurture, a congregation to shepherd. Proverbs 14:23 says,”in all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.”

What work has God placed into your hand today? Do you know its worth?

Do you wake up in the morning filled with motivation and vision for the day ahead or do you find yourself beginning reluctantly: dreading the dilemmas, headaches, or arguments that may commence in your work space?

Vision for Our Work

At times, all work can be hard, difficult, and disappointing. You may feel like throwing in the towel and just giving up.

Maybe it is time for a change. But before you make that decision, pause and reflect. Ask yourself, “Why do I do what I do?” Is it to help or encourage others? To better an area of society? To serve your country? To extend a cause that is bigger than yourself that you truly believe in? To raise up the next generation to know and love God?

All these are great reasons, but the chief motivator for any of our vocations or work ought to come down to one main thing: We want to glorify God.

We may not have the leisure or opportunity to change career or life paths as readily as we may desire. But God assures us that “in all toil there is profit” and that “whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Motivation in the Mundane

Changing diapers, paying bills, typing documents, hosting meetings, changing sheets, doing taxes, cleaning toilets – all of us have a share of mundane but necessary duties assigned to us.

When we come to truly believe that we can glorify God in any task He has placed before us today, we will sense the worth of our work.

That means that in God’s kingdom, people who spend their days cleaning bathrooms can glorify God just as much as people who are feeding orphans in Africa or people who are working on Wall Street.

What matters is who we are doing our work for and in what spirit we go about our daily business.

As God instructed Samuel when he anointed young David to be the next king of Israel, “For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

Let us trust God with the work of our hands today. Let us water and plant with hearts full of faith and vision that God will cause all things to grow beautifully in His time.

The world may not see the worth in your work. They may not value or esteem you, give you accolades or trophies or bonuses or raises.

But be assured that your work will have great worth and your life great meaning as you seek to keep your eyes on the Lord and work for Him alone.

The reward that comes from work done for Him will be eternal.

_______________________

**For further reading on glorifying God at work, check out Keith Welton’s book, “Working for Glory: A Theology for Doing Work that Matters“

“There is nothing either good or bad except that thinking makes it so.” – Shakespeare

Over the last two weeks, a fever virus spread through many of my children which challenged us in many ways. It wasn’t just the physical symptom of a high temperature that wore us down, it was also the emotional and mental discouragement that can accompany sickness that was most difficult to bear.

Once one person began to feel better, another began to show symptoms. I was personally worn out physically as my husband was on a week long international trip for work when the fevers began.

And when my second daughter (who thankfully remained well throughout the whole period of sickness) heard that a friend she was supposed to have a play date with was also sick, she burst into tears exclaiming that “everyone in our neighborhood is sick! I don’t have anyone to play with!”

It’s All in A State of Mind

As you may know, we gave up complaining for Lent. So we shouldn’t be surprised that in the final stretch of our “No Complaining Challenge” we were challenged to choose thankfulness in the midst of sickness.

We all had our moments of break down (It’s okay to be human!) and I will admit that on Easter Sunday I was definitely discouraged by the fact that I needed to stay home with a sick child instead of attending service with the rest of our congregation.

But after some time away to refresh myself and renew my mind, I felt uplifted again. And as I recalled what helped me through a rough patch, the main thing that came to my mind is what I was choosing to think about.

You Are What You Think

Proverbs 23:7 says, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” Our thoughts are powerful. It is proven that what we choose to meditate on has a direct impact on our bodies, attitudes, and actions.

Two people can look at a situation and one can choose to see the good in it and one will only see the negative. It is encouraging to know that even if you have been thinking negatively for a long time, you can train your mind to think differently!

Science has proven that the neurons in our brain can change and adapt as we choose to change the dialogue in our minds. It takes a lot of effort at first, but the outcome will make all our efforts worthwhile!

Philippians 4:8 gives us a good filter to run our thoughts through. It says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

Every morning lately, I have been starting my day by meditating on these verses. If I have an anxious thought (which I have had many!) I try to ask myself some questions to steer my mind in a better direction:

Yes it is true that my child has a high fever, but is there anything praiseworthy I can choose to focus on? Yes! That we have good food, water, medicine, tepid baths, and a comfy bed that can help her recover.

It’s Your Choice

Life throws us all some pretty nasty curveballs at times. Let’s choose to renew our minds (Romans 12:2) and receive the mind of Christ. Let’s follow the admonition of Isaiah 26:3 which says, “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you.”

You are what you think. What will you choose to dwell on today? What will be the result?

The cold rain beat softly on the roof of the church building as I walked quietly inside, listening to its consistent drumming.

The Stations of the Cross were set up in our sanctuary for Holy Week and tonight the women in our church padded softly through the sanctuary on a self guided experience of the Passion of Christ.

I did not grow up walking these stations, but in recent years they have been an important part of our family’s observance of Holy Week and Good Friday in particular. Every year, it seems, a different station leaves me in awe and wonder of some aspect of Christ’s walk to Golgotha that I had previously passed over too quickly.

Jesus Meets His Mother

This year, I was drawn in by Station 4 – Jesus Meets His Mother. This painting by Raphael stirred my heart as I looked closely at Mary.

Mary – who, as a young girl, was visited by the angel Gabriel who brought the message from God, inviting her to carry the Savior of all mankind in her womb.

She hospitably replied, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord. Let it be unto me according to your word.”

Mary let go of her childhood, her reputation, and risked her life to say “Yes” to God, to carry Christ within her.

She had no picket-fence life. She rode on a donkey for days on end in her last trimester and delivered her firstborn son in a dirty stable.

She carried him into the temple and heard Simeon and Anna’s prophesies over her little boy, trembling in the fear of God. She heard that “a sword will pierce your own soul also” and likely pondered what that might mean for her son.

She got frustrated with him when he wandered off and sometimes didn’t understand why he did what he did. No one, perhaps, had a more first-hand view of the humanity of Jesus and yet she believed He was the Messiah – this little child under her care was God made flesh.

She was there to watch him perform his first miracle and stood beside him through all his highs and lows.

And when all his disciples (save John) “forsook him and fled” – there was His mother – refusing to leave his side even though a sword was indeed piercing her own soul as she watched him suffer.

In Raphael’s painting, Jesus has fallen. Mary’s arms reach out to him. What was she thinking?

“My son, I’ve helped you up so many times – can’t I help you now?”
“My son, I wish I could take your suffering for you. I wish there were another way.”
“My son, I will not leave your side. I will be with you until the very end.”

In the Midst of Suffering

Jesus knew He would obey His Father and yet he was in agony. And in his suffering, the face of his mother brought him comfort.

Shaking myself back to reality, I glanced down at the questions that had been written for reflection at that station:

“In the middle of the angry crowd surrounding him, Jesus sees his mother’s face. They see pain and love on each other’s face…This makes their own pain even more intense, but at the same time offers hope and encouragement…

Whose suffering face causes me the most pain?
Whose face is my source of comfort and encouragement in the midst of my own pain?
Who sees my face as a source of comfort and encouragement?”

I write this blog post one of my children is suffering from a high fever. Her pain pales in comparison to what Christ experienced and yet as her mother, I wish I could just bear it for her.

I wish I could make her well. I can’t – and so I care for her through her sickness and seek to offer her encouragement and prayer in the midst of it.

I am so glad that Mary walked with Jesus as he carried his cross and bore it well. She could have said “this pain is too much for me – I can’t watch.” But she didn’t.

Her face offered him strength and courage to continue in obedience to His Heavenly Father. His death and resurrection is the foundation of faith and hope of salvation for billions of people today.

This Holy Week, Mary gives us an example worth emulating.

I want to offer encouragement to those around me as they seek to follow after Christ even in the midst of suffering.

Whose face brings you comfort and encouragement?
Who needs to see your face today?

Don’t underestimate the impact of one word, one touch, one look that brings strength to the weary.