Not the What, but the Why

 

 

I sat quietly preparing for my day this morning, as I do each morning before anyone is up.  I was planning my work for the day, reading, praying and just getting mentally prepared for housework, cooking, and many toddlers.   I looked at my chores list that doesn’t change much from day-to-day and sighed.  Running a well-organized home is very monotonous.  Cooking, dishes, laundry, repeat.

(The books I am reading right now are “Secrets of the Proverbs 31 Woman” by Rae Simons and “Becoming the Woman God Wants Me to Be” by Dona Partow.  I highly recommend them!)

“Housework” is often very devalued and looked upon as menial, less important and those that do it full-time have little to no status.  In actuality, those chores that feel monotonous, unimportant and often unappreciated are some of the most important things you can do.

Having clean clothes is pretty important.  Just stop doing laundry for a couple of weeks and see how everyone starts noticing! Making meals for your family is important. Important to your budget, and your family’s health. Sitting at the table eating dinner together is vital to family relationships.  Having a clean home is important for many reasons!

So why do we give it such little value?  When you clean your home, cook meals, wash clothes, put away toys and shoes, and make appointments for your kids and file paperwork and go grocery shopping, you aren’t just taking care of your home.  You are caring for your family! It’s not about the laundry and the dusting, it’s about why you’re doing it.  You are creating a safe and stable place for you and your family.  A place of peace and not chaos away from the crazy world.  A place that your kids can feel taken care of like God cares for us.  It is being organized so that there is less stress before everyone leaves for the day and has to deal with stress at school and work.  It’s planning ahead for dinner for the family when you all come home so everyone can unwind.

“Housework” is the most valuable thing you can do.  It shouldn’t be looked down on, or resented!  God has given us the very important job of caring for our families.  We are blessing them and blessing God by doing those seemingly menial tasks. It is not only valuable, it’s priceless.

While I was thinking about this I decided to change my sigh into thanking God for honoring me with the responsibility of caring for my family by “housework”.   He trusted me to do this!

Eph. 6:7  Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. (NLT)

Ecclesiastes 9:10a  Whatever you do, do well. (NLT)

Each tedious task is an opportunity to bless our families and bless God.  Cleaning the toilet is still not glamorous.  Let’s be real.  It is still hard to be excited about vacuuming.  But I am going to really try to remember that it is not about the chore, it’s about the why.

This is my “why”!