Cleaning bathrooms is my least favorite chore. It’s thankless and meaningless. Or is it?
Seventeenth-century monk Brother Lawrence worked in a kitchen all his life, yet he knew Christ more deeply than most people ever know Him. Lawrence saw value in the motive of each task, not the task itself. And he felt nothing was too insignificant to do for the Lord and with the Lord.
Lawrence and Jesus cooked, washed dishes, and did mundane errands together.
Although Brother Lawrence died in obscurity, his humble life continues to touch hearts 400 years later.
His life challenges me to do every task, especially those on my least-favorite list, with all my heart, “as working for the Lord” (Colossians 3:23-24; Ephesians 6:7). Let’s ask God to give us a keen awareness of His presence and purpose in everything we do today.
Picture to the right: The truths in this devotion really hit home 25 years ago when I was with a group of Christians who volunteered to clean "squatty-potties" in preparation for a Christian conference in a former Communist youth camp in Bulgaria.
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Gail I recognize the "squaty potty"!!! Those things can definitely be a beast to clean. Wherever I'm serving or working in my life I want it to be for eternity and to point to God. What a challenge to get my focus off of how "glorifying" the task is to me.
ReplyDeleteI clean houses for a living now, and sometimes I just want to get-it-done, but then I remind myself to do every thing as unto the Lord.
ReplyDeleteBut now when I am grossing out over cleaning a toilet I will just remember the "thing" you are cleaning and that should straighten me up real quick!
Found you via Teach me Tuesdays and am subscribed to you now :)
Whenever I find myself rolling my eyes over mundane chores, I remember that this is a blessing for someone (usually myself), and everyone needs blessings. Thanks for the post :)
ReplyDeleteVery insightful and encourging message
ReplyDeleteGail, I was in a situation having to help a family member who lived in an abandoned bldg. Even tho his 1 rm. and kitchenette was all he had to live in, he had to use the community bathroom. I had to clean his small abode once a wk. and that included the bathroom that was in the hallway. Oh, I thought I was super Christian and I discovered what it really meant to do this in love of the Lord and as unto Him. More than anything it humbled me and did what the Lord needed me to learn. The greatest thing is God received another person into His Kingdom. How wonderful is our God. I am so glad you shared this devotion and brought back my 'precious memory'. JKH - WV
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your post, Gail. As I have been cleaning and sweating in the heat here in Mexico today, it put things into perspective. Doing all things as unto the Lord.
ReplyDeleteBlessings!