“Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: but one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”~Luke 10:38-42 KJV
Sister, I have a confession. I AM A MARTHA. I tackle the items on the to-do list with fervor. There are checklists for mornings, evenings, and weekends. There are ones for church days, school days, and extracurriculars. There’s a list for each circumstance, scenario, and curve ball thrown – and I live by them. Those lists are how I function and maintain some structure to the chaos. But do you know how I refer to the items on the list that need to be checked off day in and day out? I call them chores.
Chores aren’t in and of themselves a bad thing. However, when our To-Do items become more cumbersome in our souls and less of an act of service, then our hearts are misaligned with Christ’s intentions.
A few years ago, I remember stumbling upon The Help Club for Mom’s plan on YouVersion. The first day’s devotion spoke volumes to my heart and I still reference it from time to time. Deb Weakly wrote this, “Sweet Sister, raising your children for God is holy work. As Christian moms, our greatest work is raising up children who know and love Jesus. What you do every day—disciplining your children, wiping noses, breaking up sibling squabbles, cleaning up after yet another meal, or lying in bed at night with your child while they tell you their latest pondering—all this is kingdom work. You are raising up the next generation of Christians who will then raise up the next generation of Christians.”
Those tasks that seem mundane and on repeat aren’t merely chores, they are holy work. I am often guilty of checking them off the list day after day without considering their true worth or value. When we pause to recognize and acknowledge that the “chores” on our list are actually life-giving opportunities to serve our families and others with an open and willing heart, believing that God can use each act of service to glorify Him and bring attention to who He is, we begin to cultivate a true servant’s heart.
🙏🏻 Pray with me
Father God, I often go through the motions of life without considering how You can use the simplest of my actions to bring glory to you. I am guilty of approaching the chores as responsibilities that need to be checked off the list instead of holy work for Your kingdom. Forgive me, Lord, for my selfish perspective. Jesus, help me to see each item as You do – an act of service that brings glory to You! Help me to see the chores as opportunities to worship You and not just as cumbersome tasks. Jesus, help me to cultivate a servant’s heart in all things. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
💕 Trista and the Help Club for Moms Team
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