Motherhood, Maps, and Malachi

Yesterday I was preparing the boys for a homeschool map activity and my oldest did his best drama in ages, dropping his head all the way back to his spine and letting out a huge sigh. You know, labeling maps is HARD!! We were going to read from Luke, and we did eventually as it was part of our school work. But. I said "hey guys, let's stop for a second, I have something else to read..."

And it began like that...

I said...

"Let's look at Malachai 1..."

I reviewed Jacob and Esau with them, they both remembered the story pretty well.

"6 “‘A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect?’ says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests who despise My name"

"Wow guys, God wants the honor due Him! And if we honor daddy, why don't we honor the Lord all the more? Let's keep reading..."

"But you say, ‘How have we despised Your name?’ 7 You are presenting defiled food upon My altar. But you say, ‘How have we defiled You?’ In that you say, ‘The table of the Lord is to be despised.’ 8 But when you present the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and sick, is it not evil? Why not offer it to your governor? Would he be pleased with you? Or would he receive you kindly?” says the Lord of hosts. 9 “But now will you not entreat God’s favor, that He may be gracious to us? With such an offering on your part, will He receive any of you kindly?” says the Lord of hosts. 10 “Oh that there were one among you who would shut the gates, that you might not uselessly kindle fire on My altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of hosts, “nor will I accept an offering from you."

"WOW guys look, (I say wow a lot during this lol) these guys question the Lord "how have we done this???" Yikes! And look, their sacrifice matters to God, they aren't giving their best! God gave them the means, but they aren't giving back... God isn't pleased. I don't want God to say that of me! And He says "Oh that there were ONE among you who would SHUT the gates" seems He couldn't see even ONE who would stand against these lame sacrifices. Let's read on!"

"11 For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord of hosts. 12 “But you are profaning it, in that you say, ‘The table of the Lord is defiled, and as for its fruit, its food is to be despised.’"

"Gentlemen, God's name is important isn't it? And yet, God says they profaned His very name! I don't want to be a bad witness for the Lord! I don't want to misrepresent Him. I sure don't want to profane His name! Keep in mind this comment about a pure sacrifice, we'll come back to that!"

"13 You also say, ‘My, how tiresome it is!’ And you disdainfully sniff at it,” says the Lord of hosts, “and you bring what was taken by robbery and what is lame or sick; so you bring the offering! Should I receive that from your hand?” says the Lord. 14 “But cursed be the swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord, for I am a great King,” says the Lord of hosts, “and My name is feared among the nations.”

"Oh boys! Look at that, "My how tiresome it is." And my how tiresome map making is, and doing dishes, and folding laundry and every other thing we do around here daily! It IS tiresome, so what's wrong with feeling weary from it? Well, hold on, let's look at Romans 12..."

"12 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."

"Whoa! Ok boys, so our bodies are the sacrifice, right? And is our sacrifice pure? Is God's name great, are we glorifying Him in our actions? How tiresome my housework is, and yet, that very housework is my serving God. Because in Col 3:23-24 we read..."23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve." So, my work seems tiresome and I'd like to whine, but we are to do all things without grumbling and complaining (Phil 2:14). And what's worse, my grumbling and whining is a LAME sacrifice! I'm not serving with a PURE heart! When I ask you to do maps, yes, it is tiresome some days, but that eye roll is a lame sacrifice lol! God wants pure worship, a holy sacrifice acceptable to Him. But when we whine and complain we are not giving Him that sacrifice, we are being lame! I don't want to be lame. I don't want God to say of me "I am not pleased with you." But I give Him many opportunities to say such a thing about me and about my so called sacrifice. I don't want Him to say He isn't pleased with you boys! Our bodies are a sacrifice, our daily living can be worship to Him, or it can be the lame sacrifice that profanes His name, and we can be that cursed swindler! Yikes! Oh Lord, remind us how Holy you are and that daily we are the sacrifice, remind us to be a holy sacrifice not a lame one, You have standards of worship. Just because I think it is worship doesn't mean you accept it! Do you boys get where we're going here?"

They did seem to get it, they sat silently through the reading.

"Boys, let's not be lame anymore. If we catch each other offering a lame sacrifice, let's have a secret phrase like "don't be lame!" to remind each other haha!"

They giggled.

The rest of the day we all went about our work with more joy. I didn't get any complaints about maps, or silent reading assignments, or picking up messes around the house. God didn't get complaints from me either. Ok, it was just one day out of hundreds. But I want to save this conversation so I can remember it. I told the boys this was for me every bit as much as for them.

How are you being a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable? How are you worshiping? Are we conformed or transformed? (that was another conversation I got into with the boys, conformed to the world or transformed for and by God... that's another post lol!)

Have a fabulous worshipful day!

christa