Lay aside the guilt that can weigh heavy when we find our time and hands filled with seemingly mundane monotony, instead of the more spiritual-looking work we think we should be doing.
“We ought not to be weary of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed.” — Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God
I was eight months pregnant with my second of four babies. I stayed up late one night to paint our master bedroom. We decided it made more sense being a playroom.
I fell in love with a simple motif on the curtains I had purchased for the room — primary color squares with childlike drawings of animals and letters.
I endeavored to re-create the squares as a border around the room by hand-painting them. It was a more tedious job than I imagined, and took much longer than I thought it would to hand-paint each one.
As I was painting, I apologized to the Lord. “I am sorry, Lord, that I am painting instead of spending time with you right now.”
And His reply changed how I walked with Him, forever.
“May I paint with you?”
I stopped in that moment and worshipped. With that simple whisper from Father God, a heavy weight of guilt was lifted. I understood more about the Father’s desire to walk with us, and how simple it could be.
My time with God is more limited as a wife and mother of four, than if I lived alone, and I carried guilt for it.
I know the verse, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.” (Colossians 3:23 NIV)
But it was hard to believe washing underwear, scrubbing pots, wiping bottoms — counted. And decorating? Surely, I thought, decorating didn’t make the cut as service to God.
It wasn’t Kingdom work unless it was spiritual, I believed.
Truly, we must know we can walk with Him, pray without ceasing, and live without condemnation for not spending hours alone with God everyday.
There’s freedom in knowing there is no line dividing the work between sacred and secular, when the work is being done by a person whose heart and life is truly God’s.
If we are living a life surrendered to God, and bring the work we do as an offering, then “it opens up before us the possibility of making every act of our lives contribute to the glory of God.” A.W. Tozer
Pulling away and having time with the Lord, alone, is important. I treasure the time I get to hide-away with God, whether it be hours or mere moments. I know God can do more in five minutes, than I can accomplish in a lifetime.
No matter what I find my time and hands filled with, God will walk with me. Most times, He is simply waiting for the invitation.
And we can “supplement those times by a thousand thought-prayers as we go about the job of living…Let us believe that God is in all our simple deeds and learn to find Him there.” A.W Tozer