Today's Energy

I love "The Sound of Music." (Justin, don't roll your eyes when you read that.) I only watch parts of it occasionally because of its length but it's one of my favorite movies. In one part Maria is exhorted- in stirring song: it is a musical after all- to find "A dream that will need all the love you can give. Every day of your life, for as long as you live!" And really, why shoot for something lower? Do I really want to do something that's not worth doing? Why not find something worth doing and do it with all my heart. All my energy. All my effort. All my love. 

I have on desire now- to live a life of reckless abandon for the Lord, putting all my energy and strength into it. -Elisabeth Elliot

This work- being a wife, a mom, a homemaker- is worth all my energy, my effort, and my time. If I am in God's will and if you are in God's will we should each bring our best to the table each day asking God to work through us. So often I am guilty of trying to conserve, as if my goal is to not be tired at the end of the day. What am I keeping today's energy for? I don't need it tomorrow! When I remind myself that my goal is to give my all to God's work today I find I can smile and go on when I wanted to quit. Yes, I said God's work. This work that I am doing is God-ordained. He made me to help my man. He gave me His children to train and love. He assigned me this home to care for. I am on personal assignment from God to these people! How that thought changes my attitude and my approach. 

If I am on personal assignment from God I want to do my best!

• I want to learn and grow in wisdom and applying it to my life. I want to develop better skills in homemaking. Learn to better understand my husband. Find out what each child needs and seek God's face for them. 
•  I want to remember that I am representing Jesus to everyone who sees me. I am showing Jesus to the public. What are they seeing? What do I look like? How do I talk? How do I spend my time?  I am showing Jesus to my children. Will they be turned away from the faith because of my hypocrisy? Will they see authentic faith modeled in my life? I am showing Jesus to my husband. Do I serve as Christ served? I am seeking to provide what He needs instead of thinking of myself? I want my life to make Jesus look good, not bad. 

The greatest error is not in trying and failing but that in trying we do not give our best effort.

Every single day I live is worth that day's energy. I may not have energy when I look at the week, or month, or year. I may not have the time when I consider all that I must do in the next ten years. But I do have the energy for God's work today. I do have the strength to put into God's work today. I do have my best to give in service today.