For many moms, cleaning is just one more task that has to get done each day. And the goal is to get it done as fast as humanly possible. Do you walk around loathing this duty? Here's a gentle reminder that our daily chores and house upkeep are an act of love and service.
I really dislike cleaning. It wouldn't be so bad if I only had to do it once a week. But having to do the same thing every single day really took it's toll on my mentality. I couldn't get past the feeling that there was absolutely no fulfillment in cleaning. Because I can never clean something and the job is just done; not needing to be done again.
No, I would mop the floor, and someone would walk across with dirty shoes 10 minutes later. I'd vacuum the carpet and in an hour you'd never know it. I pick up toys, books, dirty clothes, stray socks, and shoes, put them away, and it was as if I sent out an invitation to make a new mess.
On the other hand, I'm also not very fond of living in a chaotic, dirty mess. But my way of thinking was totally not motivating me at all. I walked around constantly, with this self-defeating attitude, always loathing my duties because they seemed never ending.
All I could think was, "Why do I want to clean this up when I know in 10 minutes it's going to be a mess again?" I went through a phase of dread simply because I got so tired of cleaning the same things over and over again. And that's all I saw it for: cleaning and re-cleaning. Every hour of everyday.
Then God spoke to me, and it was a message He had for my children about their chores. Isn't it wonderful how motherhood shapes our own spirit?
I had explained to my children that their chores are an act of service, in love, to the family.
Likewise, my duty of cleaning house is not just cleaning. It's an act of loving service to my family. My perspective began to change on how I viewed cleaning.
It's no longer about just getting the laundry done (because we all know the laundry is never done). It's about making sure my boys have clean socks so they can ride their bikes. Riding bikes in flip-flops has proven to be a bad idea.
Tidying the living room, yet again, before dinner isn't annoying when I know it will serve my husband a dose of peace when he walks in the door after a long day at work.
Kitchen clean-up, though tedious, isn't as dreadful when I know it will serve me well in the morning to cook breakfast for my children in a clean kitchen. If the dishes are piled high and the counters are a mess, I cannot cook breakfast. It's cold cereal and bagels.
The purpose of keeping house isn't in the cleaning itself. We don't live to clean. We live to serve. Our cleaning is an act of service to our family. It's a way of showing tangible love. Every part of keeping house has a purpose.
Cleaning up dinner dishes so the house doesn't smell. Picking items up off the floor so people don't trip. Making meals that are nourishing and healthy so our family is at their best mentally and physically.
The attitude we portray about our cleaning responsibilities speaks louder than our cleaning. Our attitude while cleaning is a much bigger representation of our heart than our cleaning is. So having this change in perspective on our responsibility to keep house is important to have a good attitude about it.
What has helped you keep your perspective on keeping house a positive one?
Blessings,
Christin Slade
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