Are You Serving With Joy and Gladness?

Deuteronomy 28:47-48

“Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything, therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the Lord shall send against you…”

Ah! You know how when you have children, very little escapes them? Today, my oldest son proclaims loudly that it was the first time he has seen me smile for a long time!!!

That got me thinking – hmmm….have I been so stressed lately that I have not smiled at them? At him? Unfortunately, he was right! Oh! I have plenty of excuses going for me. Let me see :

» I am 36 weeks pregnant. (at the point of writing)
» The weather has been very hot & humid making me feel extra hot and big and clumsy.
» I have to teach and train 5 children despite being heavily pregnant.
» I am dealing with a very trying almost 9 year old.
» The weather has been extremely hot and humid.
» Dh has been involved in a flurry of ministry commitments which always means I have to shoulder a greater load at home. And most of his comitments are at night when my energy and patience are wearing out.
» I am pregnant.
» I haven’t been sleeping well – all those toilet visits in the middle of the night!
» I am pregnant.
» And did I mention that the weather is hot & humid???
» I am dealing and training a very demanding 2year old.
» I am pregnant…………

Ok – I am sure you get the picture.

But all these are not good enough reasons to be not smiling at the children! As a grown up, I should be able to control my emotions better than a child. What more as a spirit-filled believer? Then the Lord brought to mind the verses in Deuteronomy 28:27 – 28. God told the Israelites that if they did not serve the Lord who brought them out of Egypt with JOY and GLADNESS, they will have to serve their enemies “whom the Lord shall send against (them)” ! Yikes!

Ok – I know we are now no longer under the Law but the principle of it remains the same – there are consequences (negative ones!) of not serving with Joy and Gladness.

If I say that I go around saying that children are a blessing and that staying home and raising children is a noble calling that God has called me to do, and I do it with a sour face and a grumpy heart – I have not served with joy and gladness. I am doing it grudgingly.

What is/are the consequence/s of not serving with joy and gladness? For one, the children see through it all ! They will see me as a hypocrite – mouthing one thing but doing another. Oh! I can fool everyone and even myself but the children see through it all . They will sense any resentment I feel and definitely the lack of joy in my heart.

To project further into the future, I may be making my sons think – I’d better make sure my wife does not stay home if we are having any children. And my daughters to think – I’d rather not get married and have children and definitely not stay home. Look at mom! She’s soooo miserable!

Then there is the consequence on being a bad testimony for the Lord. People around me hear me talk about trusting God and walking in faith but all they see is how miserable I look and how I lack joy in my demeanour. Why should they believe what God has to say about children being a blessing? Why would anyone want to follow our Lord when they see how unJoyful I am when I follow Him?

So what is one to do? Put on a front? Stop disciplining the children? Not at all. I need to fix my eyes on Jesus (yes, you have heard me say this a million time!) and I need to relax! If I am stressed, it shows me one thing – I am not trusting in God! Remember, he says that his yoke is easy and his burden light. (Matthew 11:29). Whenever I start feeling stretched and stressed, I know I am working on my own strength. And that is foolishness! Unless I tap on His power to do what He has called me to do, I will fail.

What did Jesus say?

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. Matthew 15:5 emphasis mine.

1. I need to stop.
2. Re-focus.
3. Repent before the Lord.
4. Tap into His power (the vine) by going to Him and seeking His presence (abiding in him) and counsel for the job He has called me to do.
5. And stop trying to do it on my own.

Then Joy and Gladness will return!

May this help you to serve with Joy and Gladness in your home!