From The Crucible (by Pastor Linda Pugsley)

The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing! What is your “main thing”? Hopefully it is to serve God with all your heart, mind, soul and all that is within you. Or do you find yourself looking for a little “applause” from those in your piece of the world?

It is often difficult to live this life rightly before the Lord. Many mundane tasks fill our lives. Hardworking dads feel unappreciated; hardworking moms (if blessed enough to be at home) feel isolated and alone with the little ones (is there any adult conversation out there?); hardworking college students try and balance all the classes with the growing pains; workers dread going to work; pastors just can’t bear hearing of another problem—on and on goes the list. No one is applauding and no one is encouraging you. Heavy hearts, drudgery—yuk! I don’t see anywhere that God says it’s supposed to be like that. But what can we do?

Glad you asked! One thing we must do is always realize Whom we are serving. It is often really difficult to please those around us. So many conditions, so many expectations, so many opinions! But God is well pleased with His children. He just wants us to obey Him. He is excited and happy when we obey. He is glad when we offer up our work to Him or in His honor. He is often applauding us when others are scoffing or complaining. Don’t ever forget that visual in the midst of your mess.

Think on this—it is God we serve, not ourselves. Don’t serve for the praise of others, do it to please God. He is a rapt audience, and loves His children to live all of the hours of their days in awareness that He is there and He is watching. If He is pleased with you, it makes no difference who is booing in the audience! Focus on the applause of the Lord and your whole viewpoint and response will change. Endure the fire…it’s producing pure gold!

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