In my devotional this week, from the book, “Satisfy My Thirsty Soul,” I was asked to read Matthew 22:37-39. Summed up it reads, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” THEN “you shall love your neighbor as you do yourself.” The point was to ask yourself, “Do you mix up these two commandments?” As I strive to be more intimate with God and to really know him, I found myself answering “YES” to that question. I also believe that I am not the only person, especially not the only woman, who finds myself putting service to God first and then time with God second.
In my journal I wrote my response to this and I want to share it with each of you. We are all in service to God together, and it is my prayer that we all, ME INCLUDED, remember our priorities.
“Women were created as helpers and we can sometimes take this to extremes even with the best of intentions – church service, family service, friends, etc… We get so caught up in serving because that’s what God wants us to do, to serve in the house of the Lord, that we all too often forget to worship and serve the One who created us. I can honestly say that I am very guilty of mixing those two commandments up. Isn’t it true that we all too often equate service as worship? I wish that I could say that I am first and foremost a lover of God, not primarily a worker for God. But I can’t. Although my heart and soul does wholeheartedly love my Father in Heaven and my Savior, I have not made the appropriate time to worship Him in honor of that love.”
This book is really, really good.
So, do you thirst for more? Does your heart cry out for something- is there an empty space in your spirit that is waiting to be filled? My heart, spirit, and soul finds that I need to meet with Jesus – one on one – in a great time of worship.
Especially for those of you that I am privileged to work with in nursery/preschool, I challenge and encourage you to answer the following questions. What do you do to put God first before serving others? What does worship look like to you?
Share you thoughts with me. I look forward to hearing from you.
XOXO,
Gail
