Daily Chores

Growing up as a farm girl, chores weren’t always my favorite thing. There were times I’d forget them and others I’d complain about them. When they interrupted my plans, I really didn’t like them. As a farmer’s wife, I’m sorry to say there have been times I felt the same about these daily tasks.  

Feeding the cattle can’t be neglected even when the big game is on. The cow must be milked even when there’s a wedding to attend. Chores need to be done when you’re healthy and even when you’re sick. When the sun is shining or the snow is falling. It’s a given: chores are a part of life on the farm.

Whether you call yourself a farm girl or not, there are parts of your daily routine that can’t go undone. It’s a part of life: there are things we have to do and that fact is true in a spiritual sense as well.

As disciples of Jesus, salvation is a gift. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our LORD.” Ephesians 2:8-9 reminds us we can’t earn our salvation – “for it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Friend, these verses are encouraging and bring freedom, but as followers of Christ there are things for us to do. In John 15:4 Jesus says, “Remain in me, as I also in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” Accepting Christ brings salvation, but remaining in Him produces fruit. Salvation is a one-time experience, but abiding needs to be a daily practice.

As Christians we have daily chores…

PRAYER

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”  (Colossians 4:2)

“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” (Jeremiah 29:12)

“the prayer of the upright pleases him.” (Proverbs 15:8b)

Scripture clearly tells us prayer is important, which is why it has become my first daily chore. I’m a writer, so I tend to journal my prayers, but I encourage you to find the method that works best for you. Praying out loud from your heart, writing prayers, praying prayers others have shared…there’s really no right or wrong way. On days when it’s hard to pray, remember the Spirit intercedes!

READING THE WORD

“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” (Joshua 1:8)

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” (Romans 15:4)

“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11)

Obviously the Word of God is powerful (Hebrews 4:12) and purposeful (2 Timothy 3:16-17), but we won’t receive the benefits of it without reading it, which is why it’s another daily chore we must do. Again, there are different ways to do this, but the important thing is we spend time in Scripture. Remember we don’t have to tackle it all at once. A farmer feeds the cattle a little bit every day, as believers we can do the same. Simply choose a book of the Bible to work through and read a bit each day.  Find a list of verses related to a topic and work through them during your daily quiet time. Take your time and read the Word…it’s about quality, not quantity.

WORSHIP

“Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs.” (Psalm 100:1-2)

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:28-29)

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship.” (Romans 12:1)

Worship is something we must take seriously and do daily. I’ve found it’s beneficial to begin my day with worship. Some days this looks like being still and listening to a worship song. Others it’s putting Romans 12:1 to prayer and asking God to help me offer my body, my life, my day to Him as worship. And sometimes, it’s adding to my thankful list as I praise God for who He is and all He’s done.

In closing, I want to share a lesson I’ve learned from my husband. He is a farmer, who willingly does his daily chores. Through the years, he’s helped me look at chores differently. They are not something he dreads, but instead work he enjoys. These jobs require work and sacrifice, but he’s never willing to compromise because he knows they serve a purpose. His daily chores are part of his calling and help him provide for his family.

Friend, if you and I move past seeing these disciplines as a duty to perform and instead remember they are daily chores for the Christian our perspective will change and motivation will increase. We’ll embrace the work that makes our faith grow and do the “chores” that strengthen our relationship with our Creator!

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for calling me your own. Help me know you better and serve you more. Like the farmer, may I embrace my daily chores and be a disciple who prays, reads the Word and worships you. Equip me to do this in every season. Give me a desire to feed on your Word, pray from the heart and worship you rightly. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.