This post was written by guest blogger Jenna Huether. Jenna pursued a friendship with me and it has been a wonderful blessing! I’m thankful she carved time out of her busy #momlife to share these thoughts with us. They are a great reminder of far more life for women in all seasons of life.
-Shari
Shari’s weekly reminders that Christ came to bring us far more life have been both refreshing and challenging for me. I know very well that the Christian life isn’t meant to be glamorous or comfortable, yet somehow my heart won’t stop yearning for my life to feel like far more. My circumstances right now aren’t defined by abundance, but endurance. My husband is in the thick of grad school on top of working full time, and I am a stay-at-home mom to our three kids, three and under. I constantly find myself asking God for more: More energy. More patience. More resources. More time. More help. More life.
As I read the Bible this week, I came to a favorite verse:
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. (Colossians 3:2, NIV)
That command is very grounding (ironically) when I get upset about the perceived “lack” in my circumstances. Why am I setting my mind on those things anyway? The things above are greater, significant, eternal. Those are the kind of things that will fulfill me in a lasting way. In fact, it was pretty much the main point of Shari’s previous post: “focusing on our future brings joy.”
A few years ago, I hopped on the bandwagon of picking a word to define the new year, rather than setting resolutions. This year, my husband and I both chose the word “invest.” It has proven to be an apt word. When I’m exhausted at the end of a long day alone with the kids, Matt reminds me, “Jenna, you invested today.” When he collapses into bed after hours of studying and an intense night at work I remind him, “Matt, you invested today.” Between parenting, grad school, moving, eliminating student debt, etc., there are so many things that we are pouring ourselves into this year with the hope that we will eventually see a return on our investment.
But the truth is, there really is no guarantee that we will. We think that we will. We hope that we will. We pray that we will. But we know that investments can be risky at times and the results can be outside of our control. Focusing solely on all the returns we long to see in the coming years will never feel like far more life. Even if they all come to fruition. That is why I found such encouragement this week in Colossians 3:2. Setting my mind on things above will bless my life, because the things God has promised to those who follow Him are absolutely guaranteed.
If I want to feel the far more life that Jesus promises, I need to focus on investing in something eternal. So that leads me to an item that I would like to add to Shari’s list from last week: Focusing on our future brings joy because God will reward those who follow Him.
If I diligently serve and love the Lord, there will be a return on that investment:
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth…But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. (Matthew 6:19-20, NIV)
It doesn’t matter how trivial the task seems:
And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward. (Matthew 10:42, NIV)
It actually doesn’t even matter whether anyone notices:
…and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:18b, NIV)
These promises are what can take #momlife and make the mundane tasks meaningful. My son won’t remember me nursing him in the wee hours of the morning. My husband will never notice half of the things I do to make his life easier and his home nice. My friends can’t know how often I pray for them when their struggles or joys come to mind. God is the one who attends to such things, and He will remember them forever. His promised rewards are what make even a season of scarcity feel like far more life.
Jenna
Sisters,
Do your circumstances reflect abundance or endurance?
What earthly things are you tempted to set your mind on or invest your hope in?
How are you investing in the eternal?
Which of God’s guarantees about your future life above will you focus on this week?
Thank God for making far more life possible now on earth and in heaven for all eternity!
-Shari
Copyright 2019, Shari Damaso
Far More Life 