Mundane Chores Are Good For Us

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The Cambridge English Dictionary defines mundane as “very ordinary and therefore not interesting”.

Mundane Chores

In that light, I think we can all agree that the daily housekeeping and cooking chores we perform for our family are mundane tasks indeed. They are very ordinary and uninteresting for most parts. Tasks that we tend to think anyone can do.

And yet without good housekeeping and cooking skills, the home falls apart. We like to say that it doesn’t matter as long as there is love in a home.

Except that it does matter. Our home environment affects our mental well-being.

How to Deal With the Mundane?

Yet, knowing how important these mundane tasks are, we still have such a poor attitude towards them. How are we to deal with it? Perhaps we need to take a leaf from Oswald Chambers who wrote in My Utmost For His Highest,

“Drudgery is the test of genuine character. The greatest hindrance in our spiritual life is that we will only look for big things to do. Yet, “Jesus…took a towel and…began to wash the disciples’ feet…” (John 13:3-5)

Read that again:

While I am sure we can all agree that the mundanity of daily chores is sheer drudgery – defined as hard, boring work – how many of us will realise that they are good for us because how we deal with them reveals our character?

We don’t like drudgery not only because the work is hard and boring but also because we think of ourselves too highly. We think we are above such jobs.

Jesus Served

Oswald Chambers reminds us that Jesus served and if we call ourselves Christ-followers, we need to follow and model after Jesus’ example of service.

We are to serve the people around us, not just out of the home but especially in the home, away from the public eye. And we are to serve even in the most boring and mundane of jobs (eg. washing the toilet), not just jobs we like (eg. baking).

But boring and mundane stuff wears us down don’t they? And so, we often look for grand things to do and look with disdain at these daily mundane, behind-the-scenes things that He has called us to do. After all, no one applauds our efforts most of the time.

Unappreciated Work

Here is a Facebook meme that may resound as loudly with you as it did with me.

We all know that it is more rewarding to serve out of the home. People will notice us, especially if we are good at what we do. We will receive praise, recognition and maybe even monetary rewards. And so, we often gladly volunteer to help out and serve out of the home.

But ooh! to serve at home? No one sees that except the children and the husband, if at all. Remember the meme above?

And cleaning the house – again? Changing the baby’s diapers – ewwww! Besides, anyone can do it. We are meant for greater things! Right?

Too Grand for Mundane Chores?

Our attitude when performing the mundane tells the true story of our walk with God. It shows how much our old selves are still alive and kicking, not yet crucified to the Cross. Our reaction when asked to do the mundane and unglamorous task is a good gauge of our spiritual maturity and walk.

Are we too grand to serve our husbands a cup of coffee? (Hasn’t he got hands?) Or to serve our children by wiping up the mess they made in the toilet? I am a university graduate, you know?

Our attitude is also seen in the way we execute our chores. Are they well done? Or slipshod? Do we take pride in our work?

Serve as Jesus Did

Jesus took a towel and washed his disciples’ feet. We know that only lowly servants did that and that’s why Peter protested so vehemently when Jesus wanted to wash his feet.

But Jesus said,

“Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. (emphasis mine)

John 13:14-16, NIV

We serve as Jesus served. Especially when doing mundane chores. As stay-at-home-mothers, it may seem that all we do is serve and do mundane stuff day-in, day-out with little or no word of appreciation.

Will We Serve Like Jesus?

But this is my challenge to you and to me:

Will we serve like Jesus did regardless of the mundane-ness of our chores or will we esteem ourselves too important, too qualified to serve our family?

Do we see ourselves wasting away our education and talents being stuck at home to perform so-called lowly tasks? Will we only step up to serve only when it serves our needs? Or will we serve even when it is drudgery?

Let us look to Jesus, Follow His example. And in serving, may our character be refined to reflect His glory.

First published on 9th February 2008. Edited and updated 24th January 2021.

Related Posts

Feeling Unappreciated?
Do I Have to Cook and Clean to be a Good Mother?
Have We Wasted Our Education?
Are We Serving with Joy and Gladness?

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