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…All is Vanity
Posted By Angie
The other day a friend and I compared household notes and contemplated the endless cycle of chores of a wife and mother. The kitchen sink is tended to only to have it filled again with dirty dishes. The laundry basket is emptied and days later heaping full of soiled clothes. The list is endless—groceries dwindle, sheets must be changed, haircuts grow out, dust accumulates and the succession of work drones on and on.
But such is life. Solomon belabors the same concept in Ecclesiastes, observing the sun rising and then setting, the rivers running into the sea, and one generation being replaced by the next. The day cycles, water cycles, life cycles. “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done. There is no new thing under the sun” (Ecc 1:9).
If that is the case, then why do I extol these meaningless tasks to a place of such importance and become fitful if I fall behind schedule? I understand when Solomon concludes, “…All is vanity and vexation of spirit”.
Let us apply our hearts to know wisdom. The conclusion of the whole matter is this: “Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecc 12:3).
As wives, mothers, and homemakers, we must purpose to exalt God in the work of the task. Whatever we do, let it be said that we worked at it with all our heart as for the Lord (Col 3:23). This daily labor can be performed with holy hands and a consecrated heart. With a transformed approach, all will see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven.
Feb 26th, 2008
I need this perspective pasted onto my forehead! LOL. It definitely changes how we do the same chores over and over when we realize that we are pleasing the Lord when we do it with the right perspective. To glorify Him in the way we think and act and minister to our families.
This was great Angie! I feel the same way. Everything I accomplish in one day just needs to be done again the next. Thanks for the perspective.
LOL. I was JUST bemoaning this exact same set of circumstances (the fact that, around the house, NOTHING is ever done-done… you finish something, only to have to turn around and do it all over again!) yesterday at lunch! My husband just rolled his eyes and quipped that it’s “just part of being a wife & mother”. And, much as I know that, I still hate “doing something for nothing” (and that’s how most of it seems, most days).
But, your post reminds me that, in the long-run, it’s NOT all “for nothing”, really… not if I’m doing it “as unto the Lord”. If I do it for His glory, to honor Him, then it’s time well-spent. Thanks for the reminder. ;o)
Hi Angie! I heard an excellent message a few years back about those repetitive tasks that frustrate us. He compared it to driving the speed limit–the EXACT speed limit, not 7mph over the limit. We can take anything routine and present it to God as an act of worship. We may not like it, but we can ask Him to accept it as a sacrifice of praise–that we’re healhy and able to accomplish whatever a day brings.
Dust isn’t going to disappear, but it’s all in the perspective…Thanks for the reminder!