Three years ago, I decided to homeschool my children, and I pulled my oldest out of school during his first-grade year. I expected it to be a challenge, because I did not feel fully equipped to do it. Well, I did it anyway, and to my surprise, my son breezed through the curriculum I found online. It was so easy that we finished his first-grade curriculum by the first week of May. That is not to say that we did not face challenges, but little did I know that the one who would struggle would be me! Teaching the kids was fun, and so fulfilling, but I had a strong feeling of restlessness.
Before homeschooling, every day after I dropped them off at school, I would create a to-do list of things I needed to get done. I would run around town and set an alarm for pick-up. Being home with the kids, at first, was fun, and then the first week went by, and I realized I had not found the time to go grocery shopping, clean the house properly, or even pick up the mail. I was overwhelmed at that point, because I was certain that all the other things that I needed to get done were important. I must admit that I tried to do it all, but it didn’t last long. I could not homeschool, continue my online business, and run errands all in one day, because being home with the kids was taking up all my time.
It was at that point that God revealed to me the things I was prioritizing over my family. So, I slowly learned to do less and enjoy more. I had a simple prayer for God. I asked him, “God align my desires with yours.” I had no idea what that simple prayer would do for me. Whenever I felt restless, I said that prayer, and peace would come over me. Slowly, God filled my heart with the desire to sit and enjoy school with my kids. I started to see that God’s desires for me were simple and brought me peace and contentment.
I was no longer finding worth in productivity, but, instead, in God’s presence. I started to prioritize reading my Bible every day. The more I prayed for God’s desires in my life, the more I longed for His presence. My desires kept me empty, but He filled my cup and opened my eyes to what true worship is. Homeschooling was a challenge, because I had to be selfless, but I could only do it with God’s help. In 1 Chronicles 16:26-29, David is singing a hymn of worship to the Lord that sums up what I experienced, “For all the gods of the people are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and joy are in His place. Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name; bring an offering and come before him. Worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness.”
Seeking His desires and not mine gave me freedom, and it helped me get through the day. I said that prayer many times, and I still do to this day, because I needed to let go of the idols I was worshiping. I desired to serve my children and husband. Everything else had to wait for another day, and sometimes I would simply forget about it altogether. My desires were often shaped by the things of the world and not His Word. Romans 12:1-2 says, “Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. Do not be confined to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.”
Paul urged the people to do this, because God’s will for our lives surpasses ours. Our bodies are temples, and therefore, our lives can be presented to God as living sacrifices. My time spent in His word revealed to me more of who God is and what His desires are like. I was able to point out what desires came from my flesh, and which ones were of Him. He renewed my mind and gave me discernment of what His good and pleasing will for my life is. He did not give me a five-year plan for my life, or even a one-year plan to follow. However, He helped me get rid of my idols and bring true worship to my home. I had discovered what it was to worship at His temple.
I pray that this encourages you to seek God’s will for your life and experience true worship in His presence. For me, that was serving my family through homeschooling. It might be different for you, but one thing remains: we were all made to worship. 1 Peter 2:4-6 says, “As you come to Him, a living stone – rejected by people but chosen and honored by God – you yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ, For it stands in Scripture: See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and honored cornerstone, and the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame.” When I said the simple prayer, “God, align my desires with yours,” I did not think of how much that would change my life. My desires conform to the world, but God’s desires do not, and that is good. He reminds us that the more we look and act like Christ, the more we will be rejected by the world. The best part is that we are chosen by God. Trust in him and lay down your life as a sacrifice as you seek to worship him with your life, because he declares that those who believe in him will not be put to shame.
We want to thank Mayra Ramirez for sharing this post.
Women's Ministry 