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Redefining Moments

If we are being truly honest, most of our lives contain mundane moments all linked together. Certainly, there are seasons where there is more excitement and joy than usual: a wedding, the birth of a baby, or the baptism of a loved one, among others. However, were we to see the whole of our lives at once, we would all be overwhelmed with how the mundane moments far outnumber the exciting. We change diapers far more often than we celebrate exciting events. We wash dishes and do laundry more often than we attend women’s retreats. And even though everyone has a calling, there are still some very routine tasks that can feel overly burdensome when you look at the long term. The thought of deciding what to cook for dinner for the rest of our lives can be formidable.

The beautiful thing is that God uses us amidst the mundane. Perhaps this is because He sees the Kingdom opportunities in the mundane, so we should be looking out for them as well. By looking with dread at the day-in, day-out, month-after-month, year-after-year daily grind, we can often begin to complain.

In Scripture, the Israelites complained while walking in the desert. Sometimes, in our complaining, we have amnesia, just like the Israelites did. In Exodus 16:2-3, it says, “There, too, the whole community of Israel complained about Moses and Aaron. 'If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt,' they moaned. 'There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death'" (NLT).

Keep in mind that in Egypt the Israelites were slaves, but in the daily humdrum of walking in the wilderness, they forgot what life was actually like, and they romanticized a time when they were enslaved. God answered this complaint by providing just enough manna for that day. For us, He provides just enough Grace for us to get through each day, no matter how mundane it is.

But do you know what needs to happen first? Time in His Presence. The song “Oceans” has a line, “My faith will be made stronger in the Presence of my Savior.” In His Presence is fullness of joy, despite the mundane, and despite the overwhelming. No matter if you are changing your millionth diaper, folding laundry for the fifth time this week, or deciding yet again what to make for dinner, in His Presence there is fullness of joy. And that makes the overwhelming moments not so overwhelming and turns the mundane tasks into not only opportunities but preparation for our “such a time as this” (Esther 4:14) moments. You may be walking around in the wilderness for now, but one day you’ll get to the Promised Land, and it will all be worth it.

Reflect: Are there tasks or situations in your life that are mundane or overwhelming? Think about and list possibilities of ways to be used by God in the midst of them.

Respond: What are some action steps you can take to see these tasks or situations in a different light and be used by God amidst them “for such a time as this”?

Repent: There was a lot of grumbling and complaining among the Israelites while they were walking through the wilderness for 40 years. The mundane must be walked out regardless of whether we are joyful or complaining. If you have found yourself grumbling and complaining about something lately, repent and find a reason that it can be a blessing in your life instead.

Resolve: Whatever the one thing you complain about most is, resolve to thank God daily for lessons learned and opportunities to serve others and draw them closer to Christ through it. Look for ways to turn mundane tasks into opportunities to get closer to the Lord. For example, when folding laundry, pray the armor of God over the person whose laundry you are folding. When cooking dinner, thank the Lord for the food He provided for your family. Be diligent about finding those God moments among the mundane tasks of everyday living.