“Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58

How many diapers do you change in a day? How often do you wipe runny noses? How many loads of laundry do you do each week?

“Mommy, can I have a snack?”

“Mommy, I need to go potty.”

“Mommy, he hit me!”

Is this your life? It’s pretty close to mine. Motherhood is a seemingly endless cycle of childcare, doctoring, training, cleaning and feeding. Rarely is there any reward for your work. Except for the occasional smiles, hugs, and kisses, it’s a tedious job with no end in sight.

Does any of this effort matter? All these loads of laundry we do and all those snacks we hand out, none of it seems to change the world in any way. At the end of the day, it doesn’t seem like anything grand has been accomplished.

Take a deep breath. Don’t despair. Scripture says our labor is not in vain. Motherhood is a ministry done at the pace of a marathon, not a sprint. It’s a long-term commitment of faithful service in the investment of our children’s hearts.

Children are precious in the sight of God. He sees our work, the sacrifices made for our children, and it pleases Him. Mothers live out their faith by investing in the eternal souls He’s placed in their care. Every diaper that’s changed, every nose that’s wiped, and every load of laundry that’s cleaned, is done for the honor and glory of God.

Don’t give up. Continue on the path He’s laid out for you. Mothering can be a lonely job, but you are not alone. The Spirit is there and He will strengthen you to continue to love and serve your family. Keep walking forward, one step at a time, trusting in the Lord’s promises. “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6

For further reading: Psalm 118, 1 Peter 1:13, Deuteronomy 6:1-9, James 1:12, Proverbs 31

Copyright © 2012 Christina Fox, All Rights Reserved

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“Come close to God and He will come close to you.” James 4:8

It had been a rough week around our house. My husband was out-of-town for work. My kids seemed to be more irritable, uncooperative and disrespectful than usual. I was feeling overwhelmed and alone.

At times like these, I often expect God to ride in on a white horse and whisk me away from my troubles. I stew in my self-pity and anger, wondering why He hasn’t shown up. But He knows that’s not what I really need. So He waits.

And this is exactly where the enemy wants me. He whispers lies that pull me farther from God.

This verse in James is part of a larger passage about where the passion of our hearts lie. He says that lives are full of strife because of the sinful desires within us. When second things become first place in our hearts, a chasm grows between us and God. It is He alone who fulfills our deepest longings but too often we are distracted by what the world offers instead. The lies of the enemy shout louder than the whispers of the Spirit.

Yet there is hope. James says in verse 6 that it is God’s grace that helps us to stand against evil. When we humble ourselves, acknowledge we can’t live without Him, that He is our first thing, and turn to Him, we find Him standing there, arms open wide.

He’s always been there, ready and waiting. He knows that nothing else but He alone can calm our hearts and give us the peace we’ve long desired. It was He who created that longing in each of us. And it is His grace that enables us to resist evil desires and turn to Him instead.

Do you know He’s waiting for you?

For further reading: James 4:1-10, Psalm 86

Copyright © 2012 Christina Fox, All Rights Reserved

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Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12

Definition of Deferred: Put off (an action or event) to a later time; postpone.

I use to think hope deferred in my life was a result of my circumstances or someone else was preventing my dream from being fulfilled. But this week I realized the only person that can keep me from hoping is myself.

For awhile I have been struggling with the desire to have more children. Recently I read a book called “Children of Dreams” and my heart began to stir with the idea of adoption.

My heart had pondered this idea many times before. But my mind had always said no, it’s too impossible, or I simply would stop thinking about it because I was afraid.

But what I hadn’t noticed is how sick my heart was…the emotion that fills my heart when I consider adoption is overwhelming. My heart feels like that about a lot of things.

This weekend I realized that I was holding back my hope out of fear. When I began thinking and hoping for adoption again I felt different…my dream has not been fulfilled yet, but I’m hoping and dreaming again. I’m talking about it in spite of the tears that often run down my face because I am so overwhelmed…

More hopes are surfacing now and I’m realizing all the things I said “no” to out of fear. All the amazing things God has planned for me, all of His gifts, I kept rejecting them, I kept saying “no thank you.”

Personally I am not too confident that we are ready for these amazing things God has planned for us, but I’m not putting off the action of hoping any longer, and I’m done saying “no” to God. God has been trying to open doors for me and I have been frantically trying to close and lock the doors…but no man can close a door that God has opened.

Hope deferred doesn’t come without consequence, it makes the heart sick. The heart becomes angry, apathetic, selfish, and controlling. We can’t ignore the beauty of His grace in our life without some sort of consequence, we were designed to be cherished by Him, He wants to bless us, and He wants to grow His kingdom here on earth.

What would happen if we said “yes” more instead of saying “no?” It’s takes faith for sure, and it takes a simple choice. We can either choose faith or we can choose fear…

Prayer:

Dear Jesus, Thank you for being so patient with me. I’m sorry for not accepting your amazing gifts, I was just afraid. Afraid that I wasn’t good enough, and afraid that I would somehow be disappointed or hurt. But I’m choosing to trust you now and I want to start hoping for the blessings you have planned for me. Lord help me to keep my focus on You, and Your plan for my life. Help me to not be consumed with my dreams, but instead be driven to serve You and receive your gifts as they come to me and my family. I pray this in your mighty name. – Amen

Copyright © 2012 Heather Bixler, All Rights Reserved

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