Heather Cofer

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Faithful in the Little Things

6 Oct

Have you ever had one of those days? Those ones when you wonder about the significance of little faithfulness? Maybe it starts when you’re called to something that feels big and important; perhaps speaking somewhere or organizing an event or leading a Bible study. Or maybe encouraging someone who really needed it. These are commissions that others see and recognize as significant, and that feel significant to us, too.

Then, when those “big” tasks are done, you walk into the kitchen and see the dishes ready to be washed. You hear your child calling for you to wipe them. You know there is meat that needs to be defrosted and another load of laundry ready to be switched from washer to dryer. Or maybe there is homework to be done or weeds to be pulled or a drawer to be organized. These, well, don’t feel quite so important, do they? It’s so much easier to skimp on these because they feel so: normal. So unimportant. We’re tempted to think those don’t matter quite as much.

But what an amazing reality that the gospel beautifies even the smallest and normal-est of tasks. In God’s eyes, those daily, mundane chores bring Him just as much glory as those tasks that feel so important. This is not a situation where trusting our feelings is going to do us any good, because it will cause us to miss out on the joy of realizing every single thing we do is an opportunity to worship our Creator. Nothing is wasted in God’s Kingdom.

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

1 Corinthians 10:31

We see messages from the world, whether blatant or subtle, that those “dream” tasks are what really matter. The daily call of loving our husbands, caring for our children, keeping our homes, serving others, or and doing any other behind-the-scenes work is devalued by this way of thinking; that these are just “necessary evils.” However, God is the designer of life and how it should work, and He is far more trustworthy than the lies this world tries to feed us. He knows better than anyone what kind of life will be a fulfilling one.

“And so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be… working at home…”

Titus 2:4-5

“Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands…”

1 Thessalonians 4:11

It’s a fight to keep our eyes on Christ and what He says when we are bombarded with untruths about what is worthy of our time and energy. But thankfully we have been given all we need by His grace to stay the course.

Here are some reminders I give myself when I am tempted to cave to a worldly mindset in my work.

1. Small faithfulness prepares us for big faithfulness

Jesus says in Luke 16:1,

“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.

We see this same principle echoed in at least one parable (Luke 19:11), and we see this all throughout Scripture: Those who are faithful with little will be entrusted with much. Think about David–the faithful shepherd boy chosen to be a king. Think about the woman who gave her two coins equal to a penny whose small faithfulness was noticed and then documented in the Bible for hundreds of generations to read.

Every. Moment. Matters.

God sees our heart – our motive. It’s not the task that matters so much as it is why we are doing that task. It might not seem significant to make another meal or wipe down the table, but if you’re doing it from the overflow of a heart that loves God, He sees that as a beautiful act of worship. And it’s those people who are content with worshiping God in secret who He will often entrust those out-in-the-open tasks that will be seen by many.

Remember, no moment is an isolated one. What may seem insignificant right now may be very significant later on. We never know how God will use a little moment of faithfulness to bless many, many others in the years to come.

2. Little Faithfulness brings joy

When we become discontent with what is right before us (which I most certainly have been guilty of), we miss out on the joy of what is right before us. We are so busy pining after what could be that we miss out on the beauty of what is. We miss seeing the Lord at work in the quiet, normal moments of life. We become blind to the loveliness of a simple life lived in service to our King.

When we are content with little faithfulness, our tasks can actually be done with joy. Even when we don’t particularly like a task, whether changing a diaper or taking out the trash – it cultivates delight in our soul knowing we are loving and serving others in Jesus’ Name. Jesus can help us be content in any and every circumstance, whether it feels big or small, whether it’s hard or easy (Philippians 4:11-13).

This is something we need to intentionally fight for. It won’t just happen by accident. We need to continually align ourselves with truth. Our minds and hearts need to be saturated with Scripture. Otherwise, our feelings and the messages of the world will come in and sabotage that truth. It takes redirecting our gaze back to the Lord a hundred times over throughout the day by His grace. But when we do, it makes all the difference in the world.

3. It’s All for Jesus

It’s rather humbling to admit, but I can all-too-quickly put value on my work based on the affirmation (or lack thereof) I receive from others. If someone praises me I feel like the task was worthwhile or that I did a good job. When I don’t receive that, I wonder if it was worth doing, or I become too introspective (you know, those inner conversations that go nowhere and just end up becoming one big ball of confusion and discouragement). When we place value on our work (or ourselves) based on the comments or lack of comments from others, we become volatile, needy, and discontent. However, when all we care about is the applause of One – Our Creator and Savior – the opinions of other people fall into their rightful place. We can receive praise with thankfulness. We can receive criticism with humility (and not let it destroy us). When our eyes are fixed on Jesus, it is only His opinion of us that really, truly matters.

The fear of man lays a snare,
but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.

Proverbs 29:25

When fear of man is our driving motive, we begin to shape what we say or do around what we think others want. This causes us to forsake truth for what is popular. It causes us to question what really is true. But there is such safety in looking to the Lord. He protects our minds and hearts from these snares. He convicts and encourages us to continue in the straight and narrow path that lead to life. (Matthew 7:14)


God’s ways are so much higher and better than ours. And even when our emotions and the world are telling us otherwise, we can hold fast to the truth of God’s Word that He sees and values every moment of obedience whether seemingly big or seemingly small. No act of worship will be wasted.

So be encouraged today, friend. God sees and cares about the details of your life, even if no one else does. And He is honored by your faithfulness.

Your friend,

Heather

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This dear, dear friend is off on a new adventure o This dear, dear friend is off on a new adventure of obedience to Jesus. I’ve known her longer than 3 of my kids, and they’ve never known life without “Buddy.” How we are going to miss you.
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You’ve blessed us in more ways than we can count, and your friendship is an incredibly precious gift. I know the Lord will use you to advance His kingdom wherever He calls you. You’ll always have a special place in the Cofer house fam. 💕
Have you ever gotten that funny feeling something Have you ever gotten that funny feeling something is off? When someone you’ve read, followed, and respected for a while seems not as “right on” as you thought, but you can’t quite put your finger on it? It’s not that they’ve totally turned away from God or don’t still say lots of things that are true, but there’s an internal twinge that makes it a little harder to fully get behind them.
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As I’ve wrestled with this more and more, praying over it, reading Scripture, and talking with others, it seems (at least in part) to be this: everything begins to revolve around a theme/cause/platform other than Christ. It might be something good that Christians should care about, but it slowly shifts from being an overflow of their love for Christ to being what their life becomes all about. Jesus is used as a tool for them to support their cause rather than their main emphasis; their All in All.
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This also opens the way for other voices that speak up for the same causes—but are not grounded in truth—to gain a place of influence in their lives. And slowly these voices can become an equal or greater authority than Scripture. It doesn’t happen right away. But you know it’s happening when you see subtle re-shaping of truth, you begin to hear the same language, and you begin to realize the same worldly patterns of thinking.
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None of us are immune to this deception. And that is why it is eternally important that we always, *always* make the Word of God our highest authority. If it becomes us against the Bible in even the “tiniest” way, the Bible must win every time. If we find ourselves trying to contort passages to fit our point of view, we are the ones who are off.
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As Christians, may our lives wholly revolve around and be built upon Christ, because this is our only true hope in life and death.
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#ponderings #lookingtoJesus #Jesusplusnothing #truth #Scripture
We live in a world that largely devalues children, We live in a world that largely devalues children, especially those that are in the womb. And the more children you have, the crazier you are seen by others. The first child is usually celebrated with baby showers and elaborate gender reveals, but the fifth child? I know that some people will actually feel sorry for me.
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But as Christians, we need to start being intentional about declaring how precious children are, whether they are the first or 10th. Every single person who enters this world has been made by God with a purpose. No child is an accident to God, regardless of whether they were planned for. Not only should this be reflected in our attitude, but also in our words. The kiddos in our lives (whether our own or others) should be talked *about* and *to* as valued, loved, and wanted. We need to stop with the jokes that would make their little hearts wonder if they are a mistake. And when a new little person is preparing to make their way into the family, our other children should see this as a wonderful thing by the way we talk about it.
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Every child is a gift. I want all children I have and interact with to know that through my attitude and words.
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#expectantbook #pregnancy #Christcenteredpregnancy #motherhood #childrenareagift
For the past few years I’ve had a word or phrase For the past few years I’ve had a word or phrase for the year, and each time I’ve marveled at how perfectly they have summed up what I needed to learn or focus on. As I was thinking and praying about a theme for 2021, there was one word that kept coming to mind: hope.
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At first I kept mentally pushing it aside, wanting something that was more unique or creative. But when I paused to ponder this word a bit more, it became very clear that this would be the right word for 2021.
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We need to be reminded again and again where true hope lies: in Jesus. It can be tempting to place our hope in a new year (especially after 2020), in our goals and dreams, in other people, in experiences, or anything else. But at some point these will all fall short. Jesus is the only one who will never fail us. He is our Living Hope, our Risen King who conquered death and redeemed us from it. No matter what is ahead—good or bad—in this year or this life, we have a perfect eternity awaiting us in His presence. We can’t see it all now, but one day it will all be sight.
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“For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?
But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” - Romans 8:24-25
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Friends, because Jesus is our hope the best is yet to come.
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#hope #2021 #lookingtoJesus #livinghope #Jesusplusnothing #Christcenteredlife
Write a book (or another one). Start a podcast. Bl Write a book (or another one).
Start a podcast.
Blog regularly.
Start your own ministry.
Look for speaking opportunities.
Come up with more products and resources.
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There is so much out there on how to become successful as a writer/communicator. A lot of it is great advice, but it can quickly become overwhelming. It can be easy to frantically start trying to figure out how to make them all happen. “If I want to be successful I guess I have to do #allththings.”
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But I am in a stage of life right now where God has called me to care for four little people, and is growing our family by another tiny person. And with each “yes” to another child it means saying “no” to something else. This means that in my current season many of these “platform builders” just aren’t possible, or can only happen at a slllooooow pace. It can be tempting to think that I’m falling behind. But God continually reminds me through His Word and through the wisdom of other godly people that this exactly where He has me. And if this is where He has me, it’s where He wants me to fully invest and be faithful. And, He will make time and space for me to devote to my writing or any other opportunity as He sees fit.
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I’m so thankful God’s definition of success is not the same as the world’s. It may look like a waste of opportunity to others, but in reality caring for these little ones in a mostly behind-the-scenes season is eternally valuable. And, this is where my writing is tested and proven. This is where I see the gospel power sanctifying my own mind and heart and how it transforms every aspect of life. And this is where the message begins burning in my heart to share with those around me: a life with Jesus changes everything.
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If you, too, are in a season where many opportunities are no’s or not yet’s, take heart. This season is not in vain, and is preparing you for what God has ahead. Let’s be faithful exactly where we are today.
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#motherhood #eternalinvestment #Christcenteredmotherhood #pregnancy #writing
//So when I fight, I’ll fight on my knees With m //So when I fight, I’ll fight on my knees
With my hands lifted high
Oh, God, the battle belongs to you
Every fear I’ll lay at your feet 
I’ll sing through the night
Oh, God, the battle belongs to you//
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I was so grieved yesterday as I watched the chaos unfolding in our country, as I witnessed the verbal wars and division, even amongst some believers. My heart was heavy over the rampant sin in this world. And these song lyrics came to mind over and over again. The battle belongs to God. He is still on His throne. None of this surprises Him. We still have an eternal hope. He is still coming back to make all things right one day, and in the meanwhile those of us who bear His name still have a job to do. We are called to represent His eternal Kingdom here on earth, being His hands and feet to those around us, displaying His love to those who desperately need hope, and fighting on our knees. This is our commission, fellow Christians. May He find us faithful.
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#battlebelongs #lookingtoJesus
“To be loved well and to be known completely by “To be loved well and to be known completely by one is far more fulfilling than being adored by many and truly known by none.” - Gary Thomas
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It’s rather shocking how quickly we can begin to prize the good opinion and praises of people we hardly know above the one human relationship that is most significant. This person we were head over heels for when we first said “I do” now we’re now tempted to give our second best for the sake of being appreciated by others. “They’ll understand,” or, “they’ll always be there,” we might justify. And if we’re not careful, soon we can simply have two lives that are existing side-by-side rather than in intentional pursuit of one another.
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But the relationship of marriage is one that is worth investing in over any opportunity to gain someone else’s praises. Because a husband and wife are a reflection of Christ and His Bride, this world needs to see spouses who are prizing each other, honoring each other, adoring each other, and whose love for one another continues to grow deeper and more precious with time rather than less.
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We have such an incredible opportunity to love, cherish, and champion our spouse in such a way that displays the beauty of the Gospel to this world. In a time when marriage is treated so flippantly, let’s live it out by God’s grace in the way He intends it to be.
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#marriage #sacredmarriage #Christcenteredmarriage #husbandandwife
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