I’m a mom of three amazing kiddos, which means most of what I do is considered mundane. Just this morning I fed three little mouths, fixed two beautiful girls’ hair, got those two girls and a husband off to school/work, wiped a snotty nose multiple times, read board books, played with the cutest toddler I know, put that same toddler down for a nap, and washed/folded a pile of laundry. And…all before lunch time. In all honesty, it’s so easy to get caught up in the mundane that I miss the rich blessings God has given me. The blessing of being able to stay home with my kiddos while they are young. The blessing of a beautiful home that requires upkeep. The blessing of clothes that need washing, drying, and folding. The blessing of food that I get to cook for my family. And the incredible blessing of a husband and 3 children that need my time and energy.
You see, the mundane of life is what the enemy uses to distract us and what God uses to refine us. On my bad days, satan whispers in my ear: “Amanda, you were made for so much more than this! Why are you spending all of your time/energy changing diapers, wiping snotty noses, and folding clothes when you could do more? Don’t you realize that you have a degree (or two) you can use?” And, the accusations continue. In these moments, it’s so difficult to see God’s blessings through the noise. And, the next step? Discontentment begins to settle in my heart. I begin looking around at my friends who are in a different life stage or have been called to a different set of circumstances and wonder if I’m missing something. (Am I really settling for second best? Is my family really worth trading in what I used to want in order to be fully present with them?) If I’m not careful, I can easily spiral. In fact, that’s exactly what the enemy of my soul wants from me. He wants me to get to a place where I look at the mundane, despise it, and walk away from what the Lord has called me to do. And friend, he wants the same for you.
But, there is an answer (Praise God). And, that answer is found in the pages of scripture. “And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, ‘Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death'” (Rev. 12:10-11). Satan is the accuser of the brothers…of you and of me. He knows his fate, and he knows his time is short. Therefore, if he can get me to spiral into discontentment, then he can lead my heart and eventually my life away from God’s perfect plan.
Friends, discontentment is always rooted in self-love. But, look at the above verse. What is the answer to our discontentment? We are called to be ones who are in love with their Heavenly Father more than they are in love with self. We (I) must get to a place where we realize and rest in the fact that we are not our own. If you have chosen to follow Christ, then you have been purchased by His shed blood. You nor I have the right to demand anything from Him. When the accuser begins to whisper in our ears and distort God’s Word and truth, we must remind him that we are victorious in Christ and then stand firm on our testimony of faith.
I’m definitely still working through learning the peace of that comes with contentment. (And, I’m sure it will be a lifelong journey.) But, I so want to be victorious in this area. I’m tired of giving into the accuser and spiraling into discontent. I don’t know about you, but I want to begin running hard towards my Good Father. I want to claim His promises/blessings over my life and then rest in the reality that they are for me. He isn’t holding out on you, and He isn’t holding out on me. He knows exactly what I need in order to make me the wife, mom, friend, and church-woman that reflects His glory and points others to Christ.
My days may be filled with many mundane tasks, but I pray that I will see the sacredness in the mundane. For it is in those tasks the Lord pours out His blessings on my family/friends, and then uses it to bring a blessing to me.
