Do all things with a joyful heart! This is a ruff one for me. I was, up until about 3 years ago (when God gave me a big old slap in the head), A huge grumbling, chronic complaining, pain in every ones derriere feminist. If the "man" wanted it done he could do it himself and do my bidding at the same time. Oh how naive I was!!! My relationships were not formed on respect or even love but on convenience. I hated doing what I was told and even lashed out at the reverend who married my EX and I for even thinking of using the word "obey" any where near me. I thought of it as slavery and there was no way i was having anything to do with it! In my daily bible study, which i do via email with my sister, We were reading 1 John 5 and the verse was this:
when we love God and keep His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.
It occurred to me then, that when you love God keeping His commands is easy, because we love Him so much we would do anything he asks of us with a joyful heart. This must then be true for all other loves. If I truly love my family, I will do all the moving and packing and storing they ask of me and I will do it gladly without complaint because I love them, If I truly love my husband (hypothetical, God hasn't reveled that to me yet) I would want to do all the things he needed me to because I loved him. What an epiphany! If I could just Love my neighbour as God REQUIRES me too, man... I could be helping so many people. instead of saying, I just want to say NO for a change, why can't they get someone else to do it. I could be feeling fulfilled and joyful because I was doing something for someone I loved instead of feeling resentful and tired. Not to mention I will be doing what God asks me to do and that is the most important by far. Do all things through love and feel great about it. So the next time you are wishing you could just say NO do it yourself, remember to be thankful you have people who love you enough to ask for your help, and love them enough in return to do it with a glad heart!
A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.
With love in Christ,
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2 comments:
Awesome advice! It is so easy to fall into a selfish attitude rather than the selfless one God calls to have. You are one of the most selfless people I know and that is likely why so very many people depend on you!
With love,
Liisa
I'm proud of you, Leanne. You're a great soldier for the Lord in a war that is more unpopular than the Viet Nam conflict. Love your blog. May God continue to pull your bacon out of the fire, and bless you and the kids. We pray for you often.
Love, Dan
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