Doing Great Things
Recently, a close friend challenged me with her words. She was talking about her children and what each one had chosen to do with their lives. My friend was recounting a discussion with her youngest son about his future. She was trying to emphasize to him the importance of his role in the kingdom of God. In the same breath of sharing how she was encouraging him to go out and do great things in the name of Christ, she mentioned that her daughter and son-in-law decided they were never going to leave their home state to go out and do something great for the kingdom. It was like she was saying in order to do great things for the kingdom you have to go away to a new place.
Am I Doing My Part?
This really got me thinking and praying about whether I was doing my part for the kingdom of God. As a humble, stay at home, homeschooling mother of three, I asked myself, “Am I inhibited from doing great things for the kingdom of God?” I thought she must be right. How can I be doing great things for the kingdom when every waking moment I have is spent wiping noses and bottoms, finding cups and bottles and snacks, trying to squeeze in phonics and reading, and on and on and on? What was the question again? Oh yeah, am I doing great things for the kingdom of God? Where in the world would I find the time to do anything else? Especially something great?
My mind ran through all of the normal arguments.
- If I raise three children who all go out and do great things for the kingdom, that must count as me doing three great things, right?
- It’s not like my life is only in the here and now.
- Someday, the children will be grown and I’ll have all the time in the world to do something.
As I contemplated these things, the Lord quieted my soul, as He so often does. I began to think about the people in the Bible whom God has used right where they are. He did not always call them on a great adventure. He did not always ask them to move across the nations. Rather, He simply USED them. In Joshua 2, we see Rahab, a prostitute, being used in God’s plan. In 1 Peter 4:10, we hear these words of encouragement:
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
Like a balm for my soul! Has God called me to leave my family and go evangelize to 
the world? Certainly not. Has God put me exactly where He wants me, to use my own gifts as a faithful steward? Definitely. So often as women we fall victim to feeling like we aren’t doing enough.
God Will Use You Right Where You Are
We spend day in and day out giving everything to maintain our marriages and meet the needs of the little hearts God has given to us to raise. At times, we may feel so bogged down by our daily responsibilities that we can’t even think about our place in God’s plan. Believe me when I say that God sees you where you are and He knows you. He can use you! Nothing is impossible for God.
Have you ever felt like you aren’t doing enough for the kingdom?
How do you handle your doubts and fears about your place in God’s plan?
- Introducing Quiet Time And Sticking To It! - June 1, 2018
- The Parable of the Persistent Widow - April 20, 2018
- Maintaining Friendships During Motherhood - March 22, 2018
Laura, Thanks for your thoughts on this. It is so true that as mothers, wives and women, we tend to think we aren’t doing enough for the Kingdom. I think that if we spend time with Him every day and ask Him to provide us something to do for Him for that day, He will show us what to do. It may be to take care of my children, to take care of my mother, to bring dinner to a sick friend, to be nice to someone in Wal-Mart. I can only take one day at a time and ask… Read more »
I totally agree! Thanks for your thoughts on this.
Oh sometimes I think like that – but i also have to remind myself that God knows what He’s doing 🙂
ugh I have felt so defeated lately. I am trying, but I feel like I am failing. This topic is so hard. Sometimes, I just get too overwhelmed