May 4, 2009 by Stacy McDonald
Serving God in the Mundane
As wives and mothers, we must learn to view serving our families as acts of service to God, rather than as acts that “get in the way” of serving Him. It’s so easy to get bogged down with all the mundane chores of everyday life. Changing diapers, scrubbing floors, repeatedly correcting children, teaching phonics, cleaning the rock collection out of your son’s sock drawer…all these things may seem insignificant, but it’s an illusion. Martin Luther encouraged the housewife with these words…
“[Christian faith] opens its eyes, looks upon all [the] insignificant, distasteful, and despised duties in the Spirit, and is aware that they are all adorned with divine approval as with the costliest gold and jewels. A wife…should regard her duties in the same light, as she suckles the child, rocks and bathes it, and cares for it in other ways; and as she busies herself with other duties and renders help and obedience to her husband. These are truly golden and noble works.”
Remember, your obedience and joyful attitude toward your calling is precious to Him. Embrace it, rejoice in it, and know that God is there in the midst of it all.
Mary Cassatt painting from art.com.
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15 Responses to “Serving God in the Mundane”
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oh stacey thank you for this encouraging post… it has re-focused me on the importance of my calling once again?
and i just adore that mary cassat- it has always been one of my favorites?
The first sentence said it all.
Thank you so much for this admonition! What a blessing on a Monday morning!
Stacey
It has taken me years to get to this place- but as I developed a closer relationship with Christ- is when I realized how important my job was as a mother and a wife. I love what I do- and I am so grateful to the Lord- that I am able to do it! My ministry is my home and family!(thanks for the encouraging reminder!)
Angie
Thank you so much for this encouraging word & the Luther quote. It is so easy to feel useless at times and yet being a wife & mom is such important work :)
Beautiful quote! I just printed it out and am pondering whether to put it up over the washer or the kitchen sink… hmm… both places where I’m doing the same thing over and over and it is easy to feel like I’m not making any progress!
As a newlywed and a stay at home wife, this post was so encouraging! Us young wives need such encouragement as this to assure us that we’re doing what we are called!
Thanks so much!
Jessica~
Thank you, Stacy! I’m going to post a link to this on our family blog. Have a wonderful day!
I often try to remember this when I help my parents around the house. It’s been especially challenging in the past during yardwork!
What a great encouragement. I really needed this today. Blessings!
I think you must be reading my blog because of this post! Just the other day I wrote about how I am struggling with not viewing my children as burdens – don’t want to do that! Then, a wise older women sent me your book – LOVE IT – thank you a million times over.
I was wondering if I could interview you for my Lady of Wisdom interviews I do?: http://likeawarmcupofcoffee.blogspot.com/search/label/Interviews (scroll down past Christa’s)
Thank you again for teaching truth to us young gals who need you older, wiser women!
Great advice. I think it’s so easy to think that serving the Lord goes on out in the world, but the bible says that which we do for the least of these, we do for Him. So, every diaper changed, boo boo kissed, and goodnight story read is a gift for our King. How great is that?
Hi Sarah – Sounds fun. Send me an email by clicking on my photo and then clicking on “email” and we can discuss it.
“So, every diaper changed, boo boo kissed, and goodnight story read is a gift for our King. How great is that?”
That is exactly it! Goodnight stories are pretty fun; but, even changing diapers and scrubbing toilets are gifts for our King. Every simple act that the world may view as vile or boring, when done in love as unto the Lord, is a sacred and holy act.
Now I’m going to make s’mores outside in the new firepit James built today!
Thanks, Stacy, for your encouraging words. Definitely something I’m struggling with right now. I hear myself sighing often during the day at the many questions and requests.
Hey – not sure if you were told this yet, but I’m good friends with your good friend, Tonya C. :-) We live just 10 minutes apart right now!!! It’s been fun renewing that friendship the past few months.
Thank you for this reminder, being 14 days PP I needed to read this. The part about cleaning rocks made me giggle, my boys do this so often.