when obedience feels small
the work that only heaven sees
Homemade breakfast, check.
Curate lunch for a picky toddler, check.
Look at the weather to coordinate the clothes, check.
Allergy medicine, check.
Plan for dinner, check.
Give the cat her morning treat, check.
Only then, it’s finally time for me to get myself ready.
It’s a typical morning in our house. I’m in charge of drop off and pick up and anything in between. I carry what feels like 10 bags to the car for our daily commute and that doesn’t include the mental and emotional load either! I’m sure if there was a yearly recap of the most used words in our home, “mommy” and “babe” would be the top two! “Where are you, mommy?” “Mommy, can I have a snack?” “Babe, I can’t find…” “what’s for dinner, babe?”
You get the picture! I’m the central hub for information and snacks! Of course, each request and question is followed by a “thank you” but it doesn’t mean that everything I do in our home is printed out and displayed on our fridge for all to see and celebrate.
Most importantly, God sees my obedience in the exhaustion, even when everyone else just sees a mom or wife.
I’ve learned over the last few years and after many thankless responsibilities, even when no one is looking, God always sees all. God sees when I’m the first one up and last one to bed, He sees when I’m the last one to sit down and eat, every appointment made, every grocery list, every symptom I Google, but most importantly He sees my obedience in the exhaustion, even when everyone else just sees a mom or wife.
I think that’s a big part of the Christian life though, everything you do shouldn’t be for the praise and applause of others but instead be done in the quiet, often unseen moments, for His honor and His glory. (Matthew 6:1) Don’t get me wrong, some times the thankless tasks required are met with a lot of sighing and eye rolling but then I remind myself that everything I do is being done for Him. (Colossians 3:17) Of course, the thank you’s and rowdy, little toddler boy hugs are great but I feel so proud knowing my Heavenly Father looks down and smiles at my obedience in the hidden places.
“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.”
I remember when I was in 3rd grade I learned what “integrity” meant, my Sunday school teacher described it as “doing the right thing even when no one is looking” and that has stuck with me all these years. Every day is a choice to deny ourselves and serve others even when no one is looking. (Luke 9:23)
Maybe you feel stuck in your current job but you know God’s purpose for you there isn’t over yet, maybe it’s a person in your life that is just hard to deal with but God has called you to be a light to them, or it’s one more load of laundry that requires a lot more energy than you have but you know God has blessed you with a family to care for, whatever act of obedience God has placed in your life, know that He sees and He will bless it! (Deuteronomy 5:33) (James 1:2-4)
Be encouraged, friend. God sees your obedience! Keep doing, keep showing up, keep being faithful in the place and season you’re in. (Galatians 6:9) He is able to use and do in our current, unseen season than anything we can imagine. (Ephesians 3:20)
