Great Aspirations
Posted in Daily Focus on Thursday, August 14, 2014
“Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:24).
Have you ever wanted to do something great for God? You know, something great like being a gifted Bible teacher, a talented Christian singer, or an inspirational evangelist? I did, but as a young mother living in a remote rural area with two small children and one on the way, I couldn’t imagine how. I wanted my life to count for God, but for the most part, no one knew I even existed. Our single income left our family with one vehicle for my husband’s use in getting to work. I was isolated and made irregular trips into town for groceries, library books, and church activities. Most of my days were consumed with simply homeschooling, cleaning house, and caring for my family. “Not much opportunity to do great things for God,” I thought to myself as I prepared for another homeschooling day after my morning devotions.
As the years went on and I studied the Scriptures more in-depth, I noticed an amazing fact. More often than not, God used the ordinary lives of men and women to accomplish His will. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was just an average, obedient teenager. Ruth, the great-grandmother of David, was a hardworking daughter-in-law, and Gideon, one of Israel’s greatest judges, was the least in his father’s house. Even several of the disciples were simple fishermen with humble beginnings. Like mine, all these lives were insignificant and obscure, but God used them in miraculous ways to do great things.
Are you wondering if your life would have more meaning if you gave up homeschooling to pursue something more worthy for the Lord? Don’t let Satan deceive you with his lies. Although you may feel like your life is mundane and serving no purpose, God is giving you the greatest opportunity to impact the world right where you are! As you faithfully homeschool your children, their lives will be forever changed by the truths of God’s Word, and great things will happen as countless others come to know the Lord through their future witness. “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time” (1 Peter 5:6).
Father, only You can take the ordinary and make it extraordinary. Take my life and our homeschooling and use them however they will give You the most glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Comments(17 comments)
MICHELE S 08/14/2009 09:32:20
Just what I needed to hear today!!!
CHRISTINA S 08/14/2010 04:27:59
What a wonderful way to start my day.... thank you so much for sharing this with us..
TAMMIE P 08/14/2010 08:17:04
I enjoyed what you wrote as well. I was wandering if you purchased Lifepack and how long it took you to receive it after you ordered it.
BECKY S 08/14/2010 11:33:42
I too have been yearning to do something great and helpful for our creator. I have been praying to be shown the "right" path that would take me to such a place in my life.
The Lord has answered my prayer through your article "Great Aspirations"
I love homeschooling our daughter, and will remember how blessed our lives are to receive this special privilege. Thank you and keep up the good work!!!! Becky S.
KIMBERLY D 08/14/2011 04:00:24
THANK YOU SO MUCH !!!
I'M CRYING ALL OVER MY KEYBOARD.
As parents that love our children and willingly sacrifice each day for their betterment, it's uplifting to hear your words of encouragement and wisdom.
Kimberly D.
LISA B 08/14/2011 05:03:15
Mary raised quite a few kids - Jesus, His brothers and sisters.
She was a wife as well.
She had to do all the mundane things that we do - washing dishes, washing clothes, cooking, cleaning, wiping butts and noses...
If it was good enough for her - how could it not be good enough for us?
If the Good Lord has given us children - He expects us to take care of them as well as we are able.
God looks at things differently than the world. The world sees worth in publicity and high paying careers. I'm thinking the Lord sees worth in quiet obedience to Him...in giving a drink to a little one...in feeding the hungry...in visiting the sick and imprisoned.
But not necessarily on a grand scale. Just one on one - unnoticed by others. Quietly, lovingly.
Thank you for the reminder of what is important today.
Another great article.
MAYA T 08/14/2011 09:30:58
The Lord read my mind and my heart today. I have GAD and MDD and it takes everything out of me to homeschool our children. I cannot go to church and I cannot drive. I cannot go to church right now because the anxiety is to strong due to my former years in ministry. I don't drive because of seizures. Even still, I do read my Bible and I devote myself to my husband and to training our kids. The Lord gave me this today because I felt so guilty of my present situation that I was such a failure as I dressed my family for church this morning as I could not attend and that I needed to do more like the other homeschooling mothers. Thank you Lord for this reminder that you have me right where you want me. I am right in your will regardless of my health. You love me just the same. Amen.
MELISSA B 08/14/2011 10:37:47
A missionary friend reminded me a number of times when she was on furlough of just how precious a gift and tremendous opportunity I have in teaching our 4 boys to love and serve the Lord. If all my life accomplishes is to fulfilled the task of motherhood with honor and diligence, it will be worth the struggles and hardships presently endured. Reading this was a blessing.
DEBRA T 08/15/2011 09:18:37
What insightful wisdom! Thank you for sharing this. God bless you!
SARA C 08/16/2011 04:25:44
Loved this devotion, but would like to add that all of those heros had a mother or someone who inspired them to seek the Lord but were not mentioned in the Scriptures. As I seek Him first and help my children seek Him, all of us will become heros to at least one other person on our way home.
TRISTA J 08/16/2011 08:06:45
Ah! Someone knows my mind this morning! I prayed last night for direction toward God's will for our lives and the "great things" we are to accomplish for/with Him. We are so eager to serve Him and do "great things" for God! I really needed to be reminded that what we do each day, the body of our works, the sum of all the little things, the teaching of our children, the reaching out to others with small gestures, each day well lived in Christ, ARE all together a great thing indeed! Many people I know are doing things that are obviously "great".......street ministries, missionary work far abroad, filling big roles in our church, heading up volunteer organizations etc. In comparison, my life at home with the little ones seems so limited in its impact and influence. What a fool I have been, to be so blind! Thank you.
LISA B 08/18/2011 10:47:59
Wow! I\'ve been a full-time mother for 12 years and never heard it put into better words. Thank you.
KIRSTEN W 08/14/2012 05:47:19
You are doing something great for God. Your daily devotions have encouraged me on more occasions than I can count. I fwd them to so many people who in turn sign up for the daily emails. Even people who don\'t HS but can apply the truths to their own lives. Email conversations have taken place where our busy lives can\'t give way to a formal Bible study. You speak such uplifting messages, just from your own home. You don\'t have to travel the world to be a great influence! Thanks for all of your sweet, quirky, and sometimes- too close to home stories. God bless <3
SHARON WARRICK 08/14/2013 13:24:54
I really appreciate today's devotion BUT I feel compelled to say one thing ... Each person has to be open to God's leading on his or her life. It will not be the same thing for each person, nor should we expect it to be. So this statement in the devotional...
"Are you wondering if your life would have more meaning if you gave up homeschooling to pursue something more worthy for the Lord? Don’t let Satan deceive you with his lies."
...needs to be taken with a grain of salt, I think. The devotional's author might have been hearing lies from Satan when she considered giving up homeschooling -- but someone else might truly be hearing from God to give up homeschooling and do something else.
We get into trouble when we "assume" we know how God is going to move in our lives. It's just like Moses and hitting the rock versus speaking to the rock ... the first go-around, God told him to strike the rock. But the second time, he told him to speak to it, and when Moses struck it instead, he sinned and paid for that sin by not being allowed to see the very Promised Land he had spent most of his life leading God's people into.
Don't base your interpretation of what you are sensing in your spirit based on someone else's experiences. Be blessed!
ROBERT GERBIG 08/14/2013 13:26:48
As a homeschooling Catholic mother of 9, I felt moved to pity for my fellow Christian sisters who are Protestant after reading the devotion today. The example placed before us, and raised above all, (aside from our Lord Himself) that we have been given in the Blessed Virgin Mary is such a blessing, truly a gift, that all mothers can benefit from. She is the Mother of God, as well as the "Mother of Mothers." Our Blessed Mother was hardly an average teenager. She was "full of grace" just as the angel Gabriel described her. The depth of her love for us all, the magnitude of the grace God filled her with, her beautiful example of humility and perfect obedience to God are such a source of comfort, inspiration, and consolation to us Catholic mothers. We all can turn to her for her intercession, as well as model after her example as best we can.
Alisa Wagner 08/15/2013 13:26:31
I love this article! If you add a photo to the top, we could also pin in on Pinterest!
Jon & Ava Reimer 08/15/2013 13:26:43
Hi Tammy P
It takes about 2 1/2 to 3 weeks when ordering the Lifepac out of Canada. From you area might not even take that long if you are in the US.