what do you weigh?

Please take a moment to appreciate the sheer brilliance of this post title. I've been practicing my click bait technique, can you tell? 

(brief pause as Beth reads the title again and let's out a long sigh of contented happiness) 

Okaaaay, let me explain. 

To function in the adult world, some sort of analyzing or mental weighing has got to take place. Like hmmm, should I let that strange man with a face mask and crowbar into my home to replace plumbing I didn't know was broken? Or, should I spend my paycheck on a new piece of local art instead of groceries this week? (jury still out on that one) Maybe those aren't the most relevant examples, BUT each one of us weighs all the time whether we realize it or not. 

And then there's the times I analyze what's in my heart. And I find (along with the deceitfully wicked part) huge emotions like gratitude and love and wonder for Jesus Christ that just might explode and tear straight through me if I don't keep a tight lid on them. All believers experience this to some extent. We've been created and redeemed to glorify God. We are bent that way as new creatures. 

And I find that I want to do something for God that matches the hugeness of these emotions, you know? Something that will express them accurately on a human scale lest they burn straight through me or waste away somehow. And there's the rub: I'm using a human scale. My own understanding. A scale that says I've got to go somewhere exotic or do something outrageously difficult or fantastically adventurous or be some scintillating phenomenon in the Christian galaxy to accurately display what's in my heart for God.  

But when I weigh on this scale, I forget. 

I forget that God's scale doesn't work like this. I forget there's heaps of glory to be placed on His scale simply in my eating, and drinking, and everyday doing. Forget that He weighs carefully each cup of water given a tiny child. I forget how many of Christ's words were spent teaching the dense value of simple, faithful stewardship. (1 Cor. 13; Matt. 10; Lk. 16)

I forget that He's glorified every time I just do with my might what I find in my hand. That each act of service for those considered the 'least of these my brethren' makes His scale hang heavy low with its weight. How sometimes He quantifies the value of one as much greater than one. That if, without faith, it is impossible to please Him, every choice, and action and thought with faith does please Him. That each unseen act of surrender and sacrifice is weighed by the one who sees in secret. And that ongoing trial of faith? On God's scale is much more precious than gold that perishes, weighing in as an eternal weight of glory. (Col. 3; Matt. 6,13,18,25; Lk. 15; Heb. 112 Cor. 4; 1 Pet. 1:7)

And that's just a smattering of the most obvious examples. 

SO. Let's throw martyrdom and 'burning out for Christ' and all missionary and full-time ministry work, and all the outrageous acts of faith and sacrifice recorded from the beginning of time out the kitchen window. Okay? 

No no no no no no. that's not what I'm saying.

I'm saying let's stop using our own scale to measure what we (and others) do for Christ. Stop assuming we can only weigh large things. That the biggest act of service we can think of must be the best. That we must all be in full-time ministry to fully show God how much we love Him. Because we don't find that in Scripture. We find a God who is quick to point out and exult the small and hidden and seemingly insignificant. A God who gives diverse gifts, desires, and responsibilities that we are to weave together and carefully bend towards His glory. And sometimes that bending looks like being a missionary, evangelist, pastor, mother, employee, student, spouse, writer, caretaker... And God sees the heart and tries the motives, and weighs sometimes the most unlikely things on His Divine scale. 
...................................................................

So what do I weigh? (heheheh...ahem.) 

Sometimes, what I shouldn't. Sometimes, using a faulty scale. But I'm asking God to change that. I want to become skillful at using His scale. To value how and what He values. And may He receive more glory through it. 

Beth