Mother Culture April: A Work Of Heart

Have you seen those keyrings or magnets with the adage “Teaching is a work of heart”? As I pondered this, I thought that it should actually say, "Parenting is…”, and yet, the more I thought about that, I realized that the actual quote should be “Life is a work of heart.”

I had the privilege of attending an art evening last night, where an instructor guides you through a painting from start to finish, and it was extraordinary to see how all our paintings ended up similar, and were so completely different from each other. Each one was beautiful but, although there was a resemblance to one another, each one was unique. So it is with our lives, friends. There may be aspects of our faith journey, our motherhood, our parenting, or our schooling that are similar, but our “races” are unique. Each of us will be called to give an account one day to the Good Master for how we have used our time, talents, and treasures. This always brings such a sobriety to my heart.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2 v 10 ESV

Our natural default, though, is to do our own thing and go our own way. If we follow our hearts, they will lead us down a path of destruction. We don’t seek God and His ways. We are naturally lazy, stubborn, unrepentant, self-justifying, and disobedient. Perhaps one of the worst things about us in our wretched state is that we can’t even turn our hearts toward God before He initiates toward us.

And he said, “Are you also still without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.” 

Matthew 15 vs 16-20 ESV

And yet…

He does reach out to us and daily extends the olive branch, the possibility of life and freedom found in Him. Where once we were sinners and only led by our passions and immaturities, now we can walk in step with the Creator and glean from Him all His wisdom, order, and pattern for living, with our hearts positioned toward Him and stirred to use our lives to love Him and love others for His glory. He is the One who changes our hearts and orders them correctly. Even for those of us who have walked with Him for years, this shouldn’t be an idea that we graduate from. Every day, our hearts are prone to wander, and every day, we need to bring them back under the Lordship and leadership of our infinitely wise, kind, gracious Father so that He can help us to order the affairs of our hearts, the affairs of our minds, and the people and tasks which fill our days.

How do we tend our hearts?

In Ezekiel, we are reminded that God changes hearts from rock to flesh, from dead to alive in Him. We must always start at the gospel. We were created by God. However, sin entered the world through Adam and Eve and pervaded every area, and we are not exempt. This sin separated us from the Perfect Godhead, and yet, “ For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5 vs 6-8 ESV) Now if we believe and trust in Him, we can be in right relationship with the Father, through the redeeming work of the Son. The Holy Spirit helps us daily to order our affections toward God. This is good news! We are not stuck with our hard hearts, but can rejoice that Christ has given us a way to walk with Him daily, as Adam and Eve did in the perfection of the garden before sin entered the world.

The beauty of the Gospel is that not one ounce of it depends on us. We come wretched and despairing to the foot of the cross and find daughter-ship, hope, help, strength, purpose, and mercy (as well as so much more!).

In order for our lives to represent this abundance and for us to stay close to the Lord, we need to be prioritizing time in His Word and time with Him in prayer. These are the things that order our ways and help us to live as He did and choose what He would on this earth. I have also seen that heart work takes time. We need to be making time to be with Him and allowing Him to sculpt us, as only He can from the inside out. First, starting with our heart affections, and then having a far more outward focus on who, how and why we love others.

Because no homeschool blog should ever be without the mention of books (ha-ha!), I would here also mention that we can be careful about what we imbibe frequently. Are we looking for books, outings, movies etc. that are good, true and beautiful? Things that will feed us, and nourish us and spur us on to good deeds? It is often so easy for me to scroll social media and wile away half an hour that way, but there is great benefit to me to pick up a worthy book, or to spend that half hour out in the garden. Let us be wise in what we lay our hands (and hearts) to.

The hearts of our children

I have definitely seen over my parenting (and schooling) journey, how much of that responsibility has to do with molding the hearts of our children. I thank God that I have access to Him and His ways as I set about on this endeavor, otherwise, I truly feel it would be a case of “the blind leading the blind.” As Charlotte Mason reminds us, we must respect our children’s “personhood” and never manipulate them. We can however use the atmosphere of living ideas, the discipline of habit and a generous curriculum as tools to help them in molding their own lives and wills to the Lord’s glory.

As for ourselves, to be seeking that which is good, true and beautiful for them too, covers so many facets and areas of life.

How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Psalm 119 vs 9-11 ESV

With the Lord’s help, may we be those women, who point all to Him, in prayer, word and deed. May we seriously approach Him and use our best effort to love and honour Him with all our heart, soul and might, so that we may then love others likewise. Our position in this, is one of humility and repentance. We have nothing to offer in this equation, but Christ has made it all possible. He extends the invitation to us to partner with Him, in firstly ordering our own worlds, and then in raising our children. At the end of our lives, may we all look back and know that, although imperfectly, we made every effort to redeem our time on earth and to use each day for the Lord’s glory.