Finding God in Ordinary Places Part 3
- Part 1: Finding God in Ordinary Places
- Part 2: Think of These Things
- Part 3: Searching the Heart
- Part 4: Failure and Forgiveness
- Part 5: Hearing His Voice
- Part 6: Meeting God at Church
- Part 7: God at Work
- Part 8: I Know God Cares
As a young wife I wanted to please and encourage my husband. I wanted him to see Christ in me. Doing things for him was one of the ways I did that. One Saturday I decided to wash his car. I vacuumed the carpet and the seats. I dusted and polished the dash and all the vinyl. I washed the windshield and windows inside and out. I washed, rinsed and wiped dry the outside. I was happy with the job I had done. I thought my husband would be too. As the day progressed, I didn’t know if he noticed his car or not. He hadn’t mentioned it.
I started to complain to God again. Why should I go out of my way and do things for people who don’t even notice or express thanks. God stopped me up real quick. Who did I wash the car for? Was it to show love? Was it to help my husband? Or… was it for me? I thought I knew my motives, but at this point I had to question them. Jeremiah 17: 9,10a says “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I, the Lord search the heart and examine the mind.” My reaction showed me my motives were not what I thought. I was expecting something in return, something for me. Approval for sure, maybe praise.
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I, the Lord search the heart and examine the mind. – Jeremiah 17:9,10a
This incident really made me think. How often do I do things for recognition? Do I get upset, even quietly, when someone else doesn’t respond as expected? The real motive should be the joy of giving, the joy of serving others as Christ did, and not be dependant on the recipients’ reaction. I needed to give up my expectations and just meet God’s. This incident pushed me to give up a little more of myself and absorb a little more of Jesus.
I find being healthy in my Christian walk means taking those little steps day by day as God shines his light on me. It is not saying no, when God is in the process of molding me and changing my shape. It is allowing him to make me into the vessel of his choice.
There is great joy in letting go and letting God.
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