Use Me

“Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness.  Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15  And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

I have mentioned in other posts that we recently moved into a new house… that my husband built… with his own hands… over the course of 2 ½ years.  J  And while the time of building was very stressful and difficult on our marriage, I also spent a lot of time wondering why I was so blessed to have a new house… the role of a stay-at-home mom… and a healthy family.  We have had our ups and downs, but let’s face it: I’m one lucky girl.  And I feel guilty about that. 

What am I to do?  I’ve prayed about this a lot.  My guilt is not nearly as strong now as it was.  God has shown me that sitting around feeling guilty is not his will for me.  Obviously he put me in this spot, with these children and this family, my needs met – for a reason.  And I have to figure it out.

It’s not a game.  God isn’t playing CLUE with me.  But I’m human and I like making things harder than they need to be.  How ‘bout I just look it up?

Joshua 24:14 – Now, therefore fear the Lord (respect Him), and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness.  Put away other gods…and serve the Lord.  Choose this day whom you will serve.

Who are you going to serve?  I ask myself.  My checkbook?  My children?  My indulgences? 

Count the number of sentences in this passage and the number of times a form of the word “serve” is used.  That’s a clue.  It’s an important concept. 

I have, in this time of excess, seen that God wants me to SERVE others with the blessings he has showered upon me.  He wants me to love, and listen, and be compassionate, and offer hope, and prayer, and open up my new home as a place where people can come together to serve and be uplifted. 

It’s so important that we feel like we have a purpose.  What in the world has God put me here for?  What will I be when I am done raising small children?  How can I be of use to others? 

As a writer I love the idea that moms should have a mission statement.  As a believer, I love the idea that we would seek out God’s role for us in the big picture.  Choose today whom you will serve.

God’s Blessings.

Lord, show us in our daily, regular lives, how we can serve you.  Help us to recognize the purpose you have for us and empower us to fulfill this purpose.  Make it clear that your strength and power are what enable us, Lord.  Help us to teach our children to serve you.  Amen.