Serving the Lord With Gladness
July 19, 2021 • by Laura Booz
“Somebody pinch me!” That’s what I said when I found out I could write a post for the Journeywomen blog. I love the Journeywomen community and writing is one of my favorite ways to serve the Lord. Doing this work would be a thrill.
I knew exactly what I wanted to write: I would modify a chapter from my upcoming book about serving the Lord with gladness. I worked on the post during my toddler’s naptime and I submitted it just as she was waking up for her afternoon snack. Everything was moving along smoothly. Until plans changed.
The next day, my publisher called to make sure I wasn’t using too much content from my upcoming book. My heart sank. Starting over would mean more work for me. As a mom of six kids at home, I don’t have much margin to rewrite anything, let alone a 1,200-word blog post. Just thinking about it made my heart race.
Eventually, I decided to write a fresh article.
But there was a problem because I could not think of a replacement story. Not one. Of course, I have countless examples of how the Lord has (often painstakingly) taught me to serve him with gladness, but none are quite as compelling as the day when a bowl of whipped cream shattered on the kitchen floor. Which, of course, is the story in my book.
I tried to think of another angle, another example, another way of strengthening you (and me) with God’s Word, but my mind was blank.
The deadline loomed. With each passing day, I lost confidence.
Finally, I asked God to provide. Would he give me a story idea?
An Opportunity to Serve the Lord with Gladness
That same day, my teenage daughter happened to spill her entire raspberry smoothie under the dining room table. A deep shade of pink oozed, splattered, and pooled across the blue area rug.
It was a mess.
My daughter frantically ran to get paper towels.
I kept my mouth shut but all I could think was, “I knew this would happen! I knew our lovely blue rug was too good to be true.”
Resigned, I moved the dining room chairs out of the way. Cleaning this up would be tricky at best and an exercise in futility at worst.
My daughter stood by with paper towels while I attempted to “pick up” smoothie in hopes of minimizing the stain. It was slow going.
I didn’t have time for this. I had to get my four-year-old to school, clean up the breakfast dishes, make some important phone calls, and orchestrate a homeschool day with my other kids.
But the stain was setting in by the second. Everything else would have to wait while I knelt under the dining room table and cleaned up this mess.
I stewed. My heart was angry and my jaw was clenched.
My attitude was less than Christlike.
Then suddenly, it dawned on me. This is my replacement story!
I laughed aloud.
My daughter, who was furtively holding the paper towels, breathed a sigh of relief.
“Every moment of the day is a gift from God because it is an opportunity to serve him with gladness.”
The Grace of Inconvenience
This inconvenient and unexpected task was God’s gift to me. Like most of my opportunities to serve the Lord, this task was small, menial, and messy. Yet, it was a profound opportunity to do the work he established for me to do. The good cheer of Psalm 100:2 came to mind, reorienting me as the daughter of the king, called to a life of peculiar surrender. The Holy Spirit seemed to be saying, “Serve the Lord with gladness, Laura! I’ll help you do it.”
He reminded me that in Christ, I am willing to do whatever he asks me to do, whether that involves the delightful task of writing a blog post for a beloved online community or the dreadful task of cleaning up smoothie. Every moment of the day is a gift from God because it is an opportunity to serve him with gladness.
Psalm 100:2 has been an anthem throughout my motherhood. I know it well. As exhaustion, anger, and depression have threatened – or stolen - my joy, I’ve had to learn that my feelings do not determine the worthiness of the work God calls me to do. Rather, God’s worthiness determines the way I must feel about the work he calls me to do.
The Key to Gladness
To this day, I still struggle to feel glad about the work God establishes for me. Sure, I may serve him outwardly, but my heart often feels rascally, sulky, and angry. Does God really expect me to feel glad about the interruptions, messes, and do-overs that derail me from day to day? Yet in those moments, it’s helpful for me to remember that the entirety of Psalm 100:2 points to the spark that will ignite gladness in our hearts. Can you spot it?
“Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!”
The secret to serving the Lord with gladness is to sing. With this in mind, I decided to sing as I spritzed stain remover all over the rug and hoped for the best. Singing did its good work. It reminded me of God’s mercy, love, and grandeur. It lifted my eyes and lightened my heart.
“Imagine a crowbar prying up an otherwise unmovable stone. Singing to the Lord is like that. It gets underneath the heaviness in our hearts and lifts our spirits like nothing else can.”
This was a humble moment—after all, cleaning up smoothie is no big deal in light of the world’s problems—but God met me in an everyday catastrophe, rescued me from myself, and turned my eyes toward Jesus. He has done it countless times in the past. I know he’ll do it again.
Maybe, just maybe, if you are dreading something you must do for the Lord, singing to him will transform your attitude, too. Maybe it will help you to serve him with gladness, the way you want to in your heart of hearts.
Imagine a crowbar prying up an otherwise unmovable stone. Singing to the Lord is like that. It gets underneath the heaviness in our hearts and lifts our spirits like nothing else can.
You and I need a Savior to stoop down and meet us in our brokenness. It may be simple like a spilled smoothie or more grievous like a besetting sin, a difficult child, or a chronic illness. God sees us when we are facing a mess and wondering what we should do next. He flies to our side and gets to work, comforting, restoring, and strengthening us. And guess what he does as he serves us with gladness?
He sings.
“Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak. The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” Zephaniah 3:16-17
Laura Booz is a writer, teacher, and podcaster who encourages women to love God, think biblically, and live vibrantly. She'll cheer you on, share practical ideas, and point out the beautiful ways God is working in your life. She’s delighted to host the Expect Something Beautiful podcast with Revive Our Hearts. Her first book, Expect Something Beautiful: Finding God’s Good Gifts in Motherhood will be released in October, 2021. She and her husband, Ryan, and their six children make their home in Pennsylvania. Meet her at LauraBooz.com.
MORE FROM JOURNEYWOMEN
IMPORTANT NOTE
Journeywomen articles are intended to serve as a springboard for continued study in the context of your local church. While we carefully select writers each week, articles shared on the Journeywomen website do not imply Journeywomen's endorsement of all writings and positions of the authors or any other resources mentioned.
