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Saturday, February 12, 2011

Unto the Least of These

This week, I was at a Bible study at our local detention center. While I always enjoy the time spent discussing God's Word, to be honest I was wondering why we even bother. It is hard to point to any kind of lasting result from the Bible study. Though we have the promise that God's Word will not return void, so many of the ladies seem trapped in an endless cycle of addiction and incarceration.

But then I came home, and there too is an endless cycle - this time of laundry, diapers, and dirty dishes. Am I the only one who shuffles through a day only to realize that tomorrow promises only more of the same!

Thankfully my morbid thoughts were arrested by the words from Matthew 25:40.

"Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
When I reread the passage today I was struck by the fact that it came as a surprise to the righteous. They were not feeding the hungry, visiting the sick, and clothing the poor for honor. Apparently they never expected anyone to notice. It wasn't pride that caused them to do good works, but a genuine outpouring of the fruit of the Spirit in their life.

And I wonder, is that why I become weary. Am I, in some way, grasping for some "Good Mom" or "Best Homemaker" award? Or am I allowing God's love to flow through me to the ones around me.

With Valentines Day approaching, take a minute to contemplate the miracle of God's love in giving us His Son. Accept His gift of love to you so that you can have the love that can hug a child, visit and elderly neighbor, forgive an enemy and encourage the hopeless.

May your Home and Heart filled with God's Love.
Gina

17 comments:

  1. Sometimes I think a lot of the pressure comes from, of all things!, Christian publishing. We hear so many stories about other people and the wonderful things they do and what everyone thinks of it and the lasting impact, yada, yada, yada, that we can't help but evaluate ourselves in terms of "what would others say?". It's just everywhere.

    Thanks for going to the jail center, though. All we can do is be faithful to sow the Word. It's the right thing to do. ~Liz

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  2. Thank you Gina, what an excellent reminder.

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  3. I've never thought about that verse from the perspective of motherhood and homemaking before...really reminds of the sacred nature of the work we do, even though it sometimes feels so redundant and mundane. I love that! Thank you so much for the reminder, Gina!

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  4. I heard something today. People are ignorant, rude, self centred and uncaring..............love tehm anyway. Froogs xxxx

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  5. Gina,

    This is such a good post - great reminder to do our work as unto the Lord!

    Deanna

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  6. What a great post...I too think that wa sometimes....the work is just so endless!

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  7. Your planting the seed in their minds that may come to fruit at a later time. God's time that is. I am so glad that you are doing what you are doing with the women. Sure you may never know the friuts of your labor but know that there will be some.

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  8. So very precious and beautiful. This has given me a renewed perspective for Valentines Day. Thank you for the refocus!!

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  9. What a timely reminder for all of us. May the Lord bless you as you enjoying serving Him!

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  10. Thank You Gina... good thought to start my week out with.
    Linda W

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  11. So many times people give of themselves, but it is only for recognition of their worth by others or God. We must remember to give selflessly. Thanks for the reminder.

    It often seems like many of these incarcerated individuals are without hope. I always try to remember that they are not beyond redemption in God's eyes. There is a song that says "who will love me for me, not for what I have done or who I will become" and and the answer is God. The time you spend with these people may plant the seed of hope. Just like our children, even though we don't think they are listening, in the end they are learning from us.

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  12. Gina,
    Thanks for doing what you do. My neighbor has done some similar work at the jail. He frequently asked the inmates if they believed there was a devil. "Oh, yes" they all said. My neighbor is very strong in his faith and constantly reminds me that Satan has demons, imps and devils that help Satan. Like Joy said, know that you are doing good, even if the feedback loop seems weak at times. The devils will try any trick to keep us from doing good, even trying to make us feel weary.
    God Bless.

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  13. Yes!!! I am always behind on my laundry, I need to clean the floors at least 3 x a day, it gets so frustrating sometimes, and I feel as though I will implode, then I remember we are only given the trials we can bear. Without these trials we are experiencing ALL the fruits of His Spirit.

    We are where God wants us. Sometimes it is not easy to see the bigger picture, but I am assuming there are not too many women readily going and tending to these lost souls. It is one thing to plant the seed, but to nurture and tend the seedling is another.

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  14. Sorry meant without these trials we are not experiencing all the fruits of the Spirit.

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  15. Great post. I am a pastors wife. My husband was teaching on love last night. It is only through Christ that we can love. It is easy to get caught up in perfectionism but it is the Grace Christ gives us that will complete us unto Him. I enjoy your blog.

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  16. Oh how often I get stuck in the everyday things. It seems to be an endless cycle... work, supper, sleep, work, supper, sleep... weekends seem not much different.

    That's when I also turn to the Word for encouragement...
    Colossians 3:17-23 is a good one too. I don't do all these tasks for myself, but to edify my sweet husband and to glorify God. Makes me wonder how women who don't know God handle this.

    It does help to spend a few hours doing something different. A friend and I went to a really fun needlecrafts shop this weekend and then she treated me to lunch. Just enough to break up the week a little and have some fun. If my kids were around, I would have dragged them out of the house for a wee "adventure", but they're all grown up now.

    Hope you found some fun things to do with the kids for Valentine's Day. :)

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  17. now I'm humming the hymn "whatsoever ye do to the least of My people, that you do unto Me. . ."

    It's hard to feel like we make a difference, sometimes. When I feel like this, I like to do a concrete job, with clear results. Helps me feel stronger to tackle the tasks whose results may never show.

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