Will I accept Drudgery?

The definition of drudgery is this:
drudgery
(n.)
Tedious, menial, or unpleasant work.

Today God is speaking to my heart in a huge way!!! I think many stay at home moms or even working moms can relate to the feeling of “Does any of this really matter?”. We all have tasks that we face each day that just seem so……….un-important. My devotion led me this morning to 1 Peter 1:5-6, “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge, and to knowledge, self-control, perseverance and to perseverance godliness.”

I think of many, MANY times in my life where I have not accepted the drudgery of my life. I have found more important things to do than housework, playing with the girl’s, or pouring myself into someone I may not “feel like” visiting with. I’ve really been thinking about what it would mean to add to my faith “goodness”. We as mom’s have such a huge mission field right at our feet. I know if I added some “just because I love you” blessings to my girl’s lives today, the goodness from that would flow into them therefore leading it to others. Although it may seem that there are more important tasks to get done today, just being good to them in a special way, is probably the most important thing I could do in their little lives today!!

But what does it mean to add knowledge to goodness? This one really puzzled me (maybe because it’s so early!). This is what my commentary says, “The mention of “knowledge” shows the importance of the intellectual element in the Christian life”. I think this makes sense……..The more we know Jesus, the more we pour ourselves into his words…..the more it’s just gonna come naturally for us. The more it’s going to be like second nature to just have that virtue of goodness coming from us. I think we can look at Christ’s examples of how he lived and how he showed so much goodness, especially to us, when we so do not deserve any of it. So, the more time I spend in His word and soaking up His grace, standing firm on what He convicts me of, the more knowledge I have of Him, the more I can share. (whew….that was a huge run on sentence! sorry!)

“And to knowledge, self-control.”…………self-control is a huge battle for me, I will just be honest here. Well, I can practice self-control with a few things in my life but it seems like other areas of my life, it just all falls apart! Especially with food!!! I don’t know why, but now that I’ve been doing all this working out, I somehow have let myself believe the lie that I can now eat whatever I want! I’m sure I would’ve lost quite a few pounds this week had I really been diligent on eating the right things, since I’ve been working out so much. But did I? NO. And I think that’s why I LOVE that we are supposed to add to knowledge “self-control”. We have to first KNOW what we are doing and not let ourselves fall into the trap…….half the time this week when I ate something, I didn’t even think twice about it. God’s word just makes so much sense!!! Oh Dear Lord, make this stick with me today!!!!

THEN to self-control we can add perseverance!!! Isn’t that a huge DUH???!!! Like, how many times in my life have I truly thought I have gained self-control with food and then boom……it’s like a downward spiral back to square one. And not just with food, I mean………… I think about how many times I simply give up because I don’t feel like pressing on! With whatever “issues” we face with self-control we have to persevere on…….we can’t just “claim it” and leave it alone. I think that’s where praying scripture comes in and being on our knees daily. We can’t get arrogant or cocky that “we got this one under control”.

THEN after we have achieved all these virtues in our life we will finally be able to display “godliness” in our lives. “And to perseverance…..godliness”. And isn’t that our ultimate goal even through all these tasks that we do each day…….do display godliness through it all? But that battle will not be won until each of these battles are faced head on!! I can make folding laundry into a godly task if I really tried! Instead of rolling my eyes at the piles left on the floor and missing socks (do you have a sock monster at your house too??), I can truly turn it into a joyful task. I once read somewhere that a woman prayed over each family member when it came time to fold their clothes. What a simple way to spend those few moments in prayer rather than chatting on the phone or catching up on something on TV.

So yes Father, I will accept Drudgery in my life today. One day at a time, I can learn to display your goodness in my life through the “seemingly meaningless tasks” that I feel I face each day. Because I know now that it is through these tasks of life……….that you will be displayed in my life in no bigger way in my life right now. What great and mighty prayers may come from “folding laundry”……..what goodness may be displayed in showing kindness to someone by doing for them something graciously, like what you do for me each day……..what self-control I will have by pressing on through each battle, each emotion and each task! Father, don’t let me see that anything I do is not important in your eyes………don’t let me believe the lies that Satan would love for me to believe. Lord, I press on today, even though the tasks may not be fun, I will make them into godliness through YOU.