Working Hands; Worshiping Heart

She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. Proverbs 31:13

Work is necessary in caring for a home and serving your family. Meals have to be cooked, diapers have to be changed, clothes need to be washed, books need to be read. It takes work to practice piano and write blog posts. I want to have willing, working hands. I've written many posts about our work and doing it well. I've even discussed how to get the work done here and here. While some days you have to just do the work I want to have the right attitude toward the work. I want to be a cheerful woman, a joyful wife and mom. 

Work can be done with enthusiasm instead of a have-to spirit, but my heart has to be involved. I must focus on Christ. When I have a worshiping heart to join with my working hands the work seems much lighter and more joyful. Instead of a drudgery it's a joy to serve Christ in whatever He has given me for that day. Do I always achieve this? Of course not. But the state of our hearts makes a big difference in our lives and how we accomplish our tasks. 

It's much easier to have a worshiping heart in the morning quiet when I'm reading my Bible and no one else is awake. Or when all the children are asleep and I can work on something of my own choosing. But I want a worshiping heart in all of life, especially the parts that aren't ideal. I want a worshiping heart and working hands even when the kids are picking on each other or when Justin has to work late. I want to serve with joy even when little people are sick and the work is piling up. 

How can I keep the right heart throughout my day when things aren't perfect? I'm trying to be instant in prayer. I want to be in a constant state of communion with God. And I don't mean some kind of weird, trance-like meditation where I'm disconnected from the world and what I'm supposed to be doing. We are constantly thinking or talking to ourselves. Whether it's, "Oh my goodness, I'm going to kill these kids if they don't stop that!" or "If I were a better mom, my kid wouldn't do "X," or "I'll never get all of this stuff done today," we are constantly using our brain. 

Why not use that mental energy to be instant in prayer? We could continually talk to God and ask for wisdom and discuss what's going on instead of berating ourselves or following negative thought patterns. I've found time and time again how freeing and comforting it is to take everything to God. I can tell him everything that is causing me anxiety. I can tell him how helpless I feel to work with my kids in an effective way. I can tell Him how excited I am about a phone call or my husband getting back from a work trip. I can thank Him for the beautiful weather or the faces of my babies or holding His Word in my hands. 

It's a mental and spiritual exercise. It does not come easy to focus and retrain my thoughts like that. But it's much better than having imaginary conversations with people (those always seem to end badly). It's much better than wondering if what I'm doing would impress anybody. Try it. See if it doesn't make a difference to go through your day focused on God instead of just the work in front of you. How we do the work matters because the work is the worship.