IN PRAISE OF THE FAITHFUL, ORDINARY LIFE

Women of God . . . we are hearing a loud and persistent message. We are being told to hustle more, aspire for greater and aim for bigger.And when it comes to ministry and calling, the breadth of your influence is more important than the depth of it. The more money you make, friends you have and applause you have garnered, the more successful you have been. Just go get it girl. Rise to the top!Though God calls some women to visible platforms, I hope we don’t forget the women doing the ordinary and invisible work.

The kingdom of God is incredibly inverted. In the blink of an eye, we will soon see those in the shadows, doing the hard and unseen things, high and lifted up. They are serving an invisible God doing invisible, thankless work, work that moves heaven on earth.

These are the women who support each other without comparison or jealousy. These are the moms who patiently tend to their babies and toddlers, give up their time and energy to pray for, train and disciple their children. They take the time to listen. They make an extra meal and visit an elderly grandmother.They are the special mothers who die daily, tending to the endless demands of their children with special needs. They are the wives of those who have spouses that serve and protect our country so we have freedoms we often take for granted.They are the faithful prayer warriors, the mentors, the children’s Sunday school teachers. They are the wives that fight for their marriages. The ones who forgive others with grace and serve unselfishly, trusting that God sees and moves on their behalf.These are the women I admire and I am humbled by. These are the women who inspire me.They may never get their picture on a book or name in lights. They may never hold a microphone. They may never have a loud voice, fancy title or capital letters behind their name. But they have a big love. Their private devotion far out-ways a public platform.We need to define calling. Calling doesn’t always mean having leadership. It’s doesn’t necessarily mean having reach. I think someday we will realize that those running hard in the dark made it even farther and faster than those running in the spotlight.It takes a greater faith to go low because everything in us wants approval, affirmation and applause. We desire to be recognized and thanked. It’s innate. But it’s not the barometer of a successful life. And frankly, it matters little who sees and approves and condones. The money will not transcend the grave and fame will quickly fade.We live for kingdom come, the best life later. We live by faith. A faith that God sees and knows and rewards those who live to give. A faith that is only concerned with an audience of one. A faith that goes deep, loves fiercely and speaks truth.Rise up, woman of God. Rise by going low. Rise up by lifting others, by bending down in prayer and serving those who can’t repay. Rise up in your homes. Rise up in your God-given role as wife and mom and neighbor and sister and friend.Sometimes the bravest, most extraordinary thing we can do is live an ordinary, faithful life.One day, God will not say, “Well done, good and faithful speaker...author...leader...entrepreneur...CEO...mogul.”He will say, “Well done, good and faithful SERVANT.”