Welcome to Day #2 of the 31 Days to Professional Homemaking series. To learn more about this series, click HERE. There you'll be able to follow along or catch up if you happen to miss anything. Also, please know that I am not an expert in marriage, motherhood, or homemaking. I'm just a woman {who happens to be a wife, mother, and homemaker}, trying to figure it all out, by the grace of God. This series is just as much for me as it is for anyone reading.
Before we get started, I'd like to offer you the following button, in case you want to share this series with your readers:
Avodah.
It's a word that I've grown to love over the past couple of weeks. But what does it mean?
You see, as Christians we like to compartmentalize our faith. When we washing dishes, we are working. When we sing songs in church, we are worshiping. And, when we feed the homeless, we're serving.
But, this word "Avodah" means that all of those things {washing dishes, singing songs, and feeding the homeless} are all our work, our worship, and our service. This means that your work is your worship and your service. Your worship is your service and your work. And your service is your work and your worship. There is no line dividing them from one another. Work, worship, and service exists all at once.
But how does an "Avodah" lifestyle play out in our day to day lives?
Today's Challenge:
It's a word that I've grown to love over the past couple of weeks. But what does it mean?
The word Avodah is Hebrew, and describes action that is simultaneously
work, worship and service.
{From the Avodah Coffee website}
You see, as Christians we like to compartmentalize our faith. When we washing dishes, we are working. When we sing songs in church, we are worshiping. And, when we feed the homeless, we're serving.
But, this word "Avodah" means that all of those things {washing dishes, singing songs, and feeding the homeless} are all our work, our worship, and our service. This means that your work is your worship and your service. Your worship is your service and your work. And your service is your work and your worship. There is no line dividing them from one another. Work, worship, and service exists all at once.
But how does an "Avodah" lifestyle play out in our day to day lives?
"Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality."
{Colossians 3:23-25}
As a homemaker, who are you working for? Your husband? Your kids? Or for the Lord?
Honestly, if you're working only for your husband and children, leaving God out of the equation, you're going to become very frustrated, very quickly. Let's be honest, our hubby doesn't always shower us with unending praises and our kids don't break out into songs of gratitude at the end of every day. At least, it doesn't happen at my house. {If you've gotten your family to do this for you, please share your secret!}
Truth is, it would be nice for our husband and our kids to show gratitude for the work that we do in the home. But, you know what, if my family did a song-and-dance number every evening to express their thanks for clean clothes, full bellies, and an orderly home, I wouldn't see my need to run to the cross on a daily basis. I wouldn't see my need for Jesus. He's the primary one I should seek out for validation.
"Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
{I Corinthians 10:31}
Now, don't get me wrong, it is important to serve our husbands and our children. To do things out of love for them. But, what I'm saying is that the love we have for our family sometimes isn't enough. At least, not for me. Here's what I mean: I love my husband and my son so much that I would die for them. But that love doesn't always compel me to want to wash dishes or scrub toilets. {Can I get an "Amen"?}
Many days, the only thing that will keep me going {wash one more dish, fold one more towel, clean up one more spill... some days, the simple act of putting one foot in front of the other} is the desire to glorify God. To let my work be my worship. Let my service be my work. And let my worship be my service.
To live an "Avodah" life.
Today's Challenge:
Each day, I'll give you challenge: one small thing you can do to apply each day's topic to your life and your home.
Before I share today's challenge with you, I wanted to share this quote I found a while back {on the sidebar of A Wise Woman Builds Her House}. It says:
"I work for a King. He has put me in charge of his home. When He comes to see how I have managed His possessions and His children, I do not want to be found wanting. I want to do my best. Everything I have is on loan from Him. I have room and board and a job to do, but it is all for Him. Therefore I want to dress my best and do my best in all my work. I also want to be creative, for this is a sincere attempt to glorify Him and His beautiful creation. How I manage my home is a form of worship to Him." --Lydia Sherman
A professional {intentional} homemaker is one that knows Who she is working for. So, I ask you: do you approach your homemaking with a heart set on glorifying God and a desire to worship in the midst of it all? If not, may I challenge you to:
1. Ask the Lord to forgive you for all the times you've worked without even so much as a thought towards Him, much less actively striving to bring Him glory.
2. Write down Colossians 3:23-25 and 1 Corinthians 10:31 {even the quote above if you like it}. Display it somewhere in your home where you'll see it every day. Every time you see it, let it remind you to work for the Lord, to glorify Him, and to live a life of "Avodah".
If you want to learn more about living an "Avodah" life, check out these great posts:
Before I share today's challenge with you, I wanted to share this quote I found a while back {on the sidebar of A Wise Woman Builds Her House}. It says:
"I work for a King. He has put me in charge of his home. When He comes to see how I have managed His possessions and His children, I do not want to be found wanting. I want to do my best. Everything I have is on loan from Him. I have room and board and a job to do, but it is all for Him. Therefore I want to dress my best and do my best in all my work. I also want to be creative, for this is a sincere attempt to glorify Him and His beautiful creation. How I manage my home is a form of worship to Him." --Lydia Sherman
A professional {intentional} homemaker is one that knows Who she is working for. So, I ask you: do you approach your homemaking with a heart set on glorifying God and a desire to worship in the midst of it all? If not, may I challenge you to:
1. Ask the Lord to forgive you for all the times you've worked without even so much as a thought towards Him, much less actively striving to bring Him glory.
2. Write down Colossians 3:23-25 and 1 Corinthians 10:31 {even the quote above if you like it}. Display it somewhere in your home where you'll see it every day. Every time you see it, let it remind you to work for the Lord, to glorify Him, and to live a life of "Avodah".
*******************************
If you want to learn more about living an "Avodah" life, check out these great posts:
What is Avodah? Part One and Part Two from The Avodah Coffee Blog
When Life Becomes Worship {On Priorities} from Sarah Mae
Let Your Work be Your Worship from Passionate Homemaking
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FOR DAY #1: PROFESSIONAL HOMEMAKING: WHAT IS IT AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?
CLICK HERE.
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FOR DAY #3: THE PURPOSE OF HOME,
CLICK HERE.
God Bless,
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Linked To:
Anti-procrastination Tuesdays at New Nostalgia
Titus 2sdays at Time-Warp Wife
Teach Me Tuesdays at Growing Home
Titus 2 Tuesdays at Cornerstone Confessions
Women Living Well Wednesdays at Women Living Well Ministries
Works For Me Wednesdays at We Are THAT Family
Thrive @ Home Thursdays at Jenni Mullinix
Desire to Inspire at Royal Daughter Designs
Linked To:
Anti-procrastination Tuesdays at New Nostalgia
Titus 2sdays at Time-Warp Wife
Teach Me Tuesdays at Growing Home
Titus 2 Tuesdays at Cornerstone Confessions
Women Living Well Wednesdays at Women Living Well Ministries
Works For Me Wednesdays at We Are THAT Family
Thrive @ Home Thursdays at Jenni Mullinix
Desire to Inspire at Royal Daughter Designs
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