As if to the Lord
"And whatsoever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men."(Col3:23)
A few years ago while at college, I was assigned to a job which I sort of grew up despising it. It was a simple job with a lot of repetition. I didn't really find any meaning in doing that job and resented in my heart. A few other collegemates were doing that job with me as well, and they also were trying to find excuses or pretend to be sick to get out of that job. I pretended to be sick once, too.Then I felt awfully wrong and I felt the Holy Spirit dropped that verse into my heart. Miraculously I almost instantly changed. My attitude changed, my energey changed, still the same boring job, but I did it whole heartedly, and I found myself overwhelmed with joy, in every minute, and throughout the days. I loved what I was doing, and I really didn't mind it if I was to do it for the rest of my life. In fact, this job became the first job that I did after graduation. All I wanted at that time is a simple,ordinary job, but I could engage my heart to the Lord. And I found it so fulfilling and so satisfying. It really doesn't matter how much I was earning or what position I was in. But when I did it as if to the Lord, I did it with the best that I could, and I felt rewarded in every way. It was really a peak of my life.
But somehow down the track I lost that first love. And work became more and more of a burden, rather than a joy.
This week I felt the Lord is challenging me with that verse again. For people that are close to me will know that I have a hard time with housework. It seems to be that way all the way I grew up. My brother and I are so different. My brother's just born to love chores. At 6 years of age, he was killing and cleaning fish in the street for family dinner and attracted everyone's praise. Everyday in primary school he arrived school an hour early to clean up the classroom(nobody wanted him to do so), sweeping the floor and mopping the desks,etc. But he hated study and he wasn't very good at exams. I was the opposite way. I hated chores, my mother never succeeded in making me do housework, but I didn't mind study. In fact, in school holiday times I went into the library at 7am and got out 10pm. I was very self motivated in study.
So being a full time housewife for the past 8 years wasn't a very natural thing to me. I really struggled with housework. I don't mind taking Ellie to 12 lessons(dance, piano,etc) every week apart from school(which is 30 minutes drive away), but to keep the house clean and tidy is a major challenge to me. When there's resentment, there's no joy, and life becomes a burden. So this week I've been reminded of this verse, to do it wholeheartedly, as if unto the Lord. And I find that I'm starting to enjoy the little chores around the house.
Simple things, ordinary jobs, when it's done with the right attitude and heart, and when it's engaged with the Lord, can be the most awesome, most fulfilling and most satisfying, most rewarding things in the world. This is what I learned years ago at that job I did, and it's also what I'm trying to restore in my life.
Wednesday, April 28, 2004
