Daily Devotionals
Wednesday, September 25, 2024 (Paula)
We moved this summer, and I recently found an old journal in a box from years ago. (Yes, I’m still unpacking!) I turned open the pages and began reading.
It was during my stay-at-home mom era where I was in the thick of parenting our 3 littles. I knew my job was super important but I could tell by what I was writing that I was struggling with feeling small, hidden, and insignificant. 92% of what I did all day went unseen. To the rest of the world, it was unglamorous, nondramatic, and obscure.
Ever feel like you’re in a pregame warmup season that lasts into perpetuity???
We as humans have a strong desire to feel known and seen.
Let me encourage you today- no matter what your assignment is right now- no matter how hidden, or seemingly un applauded your role is, the world may roll their eyes in boredom and not appreciate your efforts, but God does!!
As the servant Hagai discovered in Genesis, He is “the God who sees.” Trust that He is using all parts of your life for great purpose. We are to live with a heavenly kingdom mindset. He is constantly developing you - and those you are serving. You have impact! It may not be glamorous, but it is powerful! Keep showing up! Keep plugging away! Keep working at it with all your might.
Invite God into your hidden era! Caregiving is a difficult, exhausting, but beautiful role. You are building and developing character and mindset and perseverance and influence and contentment and obedience and patience, and creativity, self discipline, and joy.
Think of this! Jesus himself lived 90% of his years in obscurity. 30 out of his 33 years were pretty much “hidden.” But that doesn’t mean that those years were a waste! God the Father was preparing Jesus for his next role. Before he began doing miracles and calling disciples and performing dramatic deliverance and teaching, and saving the world- he was learning to dwell well. He was obeying the Father’s Will. He was developing. Luke 2:52 states that “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.”
God is our only consistent audience. He is well pleased with you even though you may be fulfilling a hidden role. His life demonstrated that He thinks very highly of serving others!
Jesus willingly chose to take on humanity and obscurity and become an unknown baby born in an unimportant town. The one who alone is worthy of all glory and recognition took the form of a servant.
Jesus’s sacrifice looked unimportant and insignificant to man, but veiled to the natural eye — hidden — was great glory, because his actions reaped eternal benefits for his people. Likewise, our hidden sacrifices are not unimportant or insignificant.
I now look back at those years as the most fruitful season!! What happens quietly and unnoticed by the world inside the womb of the home, is so powerful! Its impact is grand!
Through Jesus, we inherit, God’s fatherhood, love, acceptance. He has His eye on us. God is still celebrating us in our anonymity, affirming us from above as his special creation. He is the God who sees!
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as if working for the Lord not for man.” Col 3:23
Make it a great day!
Better Together,
Paula
It was during my stay-at-home mom era where I was in the thick of parenting our 3 littles. I knew my job was super important but I could tell by what I was writing that I was struggling with feeling small, hidden, and insignificant. 92% of what I did all day went unseen. To the rest of the world, it was unglamorous, nondramatic, and obscure.
Ever feel like you’re in a pregame warmup season that lasts into perpetuity???
We as humans have a strong desire to feel known and seen.
Let me encourage you today- no matter what your assignment is right now- no matter how hidden, or seemingly un applauded your role is, the world may roll their eyes in boredom and not appreciate your efforts, but God does!!
As the servant Hagai discovered in Genesis, He is “the God who sees.” Trust that He is using all parts of your life for great purpose. We are to live with a heavenly kingdom mindset. He is constantly developing you - and those you are serving. You have impact! It may not be glamorous, but it is powerful! Keep showing up! Keep plugging away! Keep working at it with all your might.
Invite God into your hidden era! Caregiving is a difficult, exhausting, but beautiful role. You are building and developing character and mindset and perseverance and influence and contentment and obedience and patience, and creativity, self discipline, and joy.
Think of this! Jesus himself lived 90% of his years in obscurity. 30 out of his 33 years were pretty much “hidden.” But that doesn’t mean that those years were a waste! God the Father was preparing Jesus for his next role. Before he began doing miracles and calling disciples and performing dramatic deliverance and teaching, and saving the world- he was learning to dwell well. He was obeying the Father’s Will. He was developing. Luke 2:52 states that “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.”
God is our only consistent audience. He is well pleased with you even though you may be fulfilling a hidden role. His life demonstrated that He thinks very highly of serving others!
Jesus willingly chose to take on humanity and obscurity and become an unknown baby born in an unimportant town. The one who alone is worthy of all glory and recognition took the form of a servant.
Jesus’s sacrifice looked unimportant and insignificant to man, but veiled to the natural eye — hidden — was great glory, because his actions reaped eternal benefits for his people. Likewise, our hidden sacrifices are not unimportant or insignificant.
I now look back at those years as the most fruitful season!! What happens quietly and unnoticed by the world inside the womb of the home, is so powerful! Its impact is grand!
Through Jesus, we inherit, God’s fatherhood, love, acceptance. He has His eye on us. God is still celebrating us in our anonymity, affirming us from above as his special creation. He is the God who sees!
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as if working for the Lord not for man.” Col 3:23
Make it a great day!
Better Together,
Paula
