Tuesday, January 23, 2007

the little things

Luke 19:17 says, "Well done, my good servant! his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities'. "Little things matter to God. And I don't know anyone entrusted with more little things than a mother. You know the things I mean. That little everyday stuff that never ends:

  • make beds
  • laundry, laundry, and more laundry
  • read a story, write a note, kiss a boo boo
  • dishes, dinner, and more dishes
  • vacuum, dust, and bathrooms
  • when you're done, do it again
  • and do it again once more

There is a point to all this. When we do the little things that matter today, it has eternal value. I am reminded of what Jesus said, "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me." ( Matthew 25:40)

Reading this verse cause my toilet scrubbing, nose-wiping duties to take on a high and holy purpose.

11 comments:

Janis Rodgers said...

It is so easy to get caught up in the mundane and forget the higher purpose that we are moms. Thanks for reminding me! Blessings, Chris!

Susanne said...

Wonderful, wonderful post Chris! What an encouragement!

Kelly said...

Thank you so much for this reminder! Our drudgery can be transformed into an offering of praise and honor to Him. THa's a perpective shift!

Kim said...

Yes,Chris! I agree and one thing God has been teaching me is to have joy in all those things. When I am doing the third load of laundry,or cleaning up a kitchen spill...are my children seeing me grumble and complain or doing everything with joy,knowing that God is more interested in how we do things,with a right heart attitude.

I messed up in this area yesterday! My oldest spilled the milk on our kitchen island(she was in a hurry making our drinks for dinner)last night and I did not have joy in helping her clean it up. : (

Gos is still patient with me...I should show the same graces towards others.

Kim

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful reminder. And then there is the "Lord I feel guilty because I am not able to take care of these little things due to my knee injury so please show me what is important."

Anonymous said...

They grow up so fast! One day you turn around and off to college they go.....enjoy the laundry, more laundry, spilled milk, etc.
One thing I 'tried' to do when it was getting to me - kids or husband - was as I loaded the washer or did the dishes - I thanked God that I had a family to do this for.
Great post!

Deidre said...

Wow, I really needed to read this post this morning. I've been feeling a little overwhelmed this week. Thanks!

Tina said...

that's great... it does make it a lot less stinky doesn't it? :)

thanks for the encouragement!

Cyndi said...

Amen, amen. Mother Theresa said, "We cannot all do great things, but we can all do small things with great love." That quote has greatly impacted my in my motherhood and my ministry.

I really loved this post!

Carol said...

Absolutely! And if you look at it backwards, why would God entrust big things to us if we can't even handle the little things? The way I look at it, those little things, if done with a heart of joy and love, are acts of worship.

Anonymous said...

What a great little post about the value of the small things in life. :0)