I was discontent. I didn’t want to do this certain thing. Okay, I’ll just be honest with you as to what was frustrating me. It was cooking. I didn’t want to have to do the work of cooking dinner. I have never really enjoyed it all that much, using a number of excuses as to why this is not my favorite duty.
And then one day (rather recently), as I stood at my counter working on dinner, I was so very convicted about my attitude. This was my job. It is what I signed up to do all those years ago when I got married. Instead of trying to “get it over with”, why not enjoy it?
And so, since then, I have begun to view it a bit differently. And it has totally changed my attitude.
I began to learn about cooking through videos. I poured over some of the cookbooks I own (which generally just sit on my shelf) and picked out some recipes to try.
Rather than just defaulting to easy meals or getting takeout (which used to be our standard…after all, there are only two of us…), I am trying to think outside the box and feed my husband and myself in a healthier way. My husband has been a good sport about my efforts and is also honest in his critiques, which I appreciate. (Yes, the potatoes were too hard in that chowder! Lesson learned!)
When you were used to cooking for six and now you only cook for two, you can grow lackadaisical in this area. Well, at least I did.
But my point is this: Whatever we have on our “to-do” list that has to be done is not the “dreaded” but, rather, a privilege. It’s a privilege to cook, to do laundry, to stick to a budget, to wait on tables, to take inventory at work…you fill in the blank for whatever duty it is that you find yourself having a bad attitude about.
Instead of having an attitude of “working for the weekend”(getting a chore past so we can do something we enjoy more), why not bring the joy of the Lord to the chore itself?
We live in a lazy, self-centered, entertainment-loving culture, and I am afraid this has seeped into my own life more than I care to admit. I am thankful to God for opening my eyes to this.
Unfortunately, I’d rather guess that I’ll fall back into laziness and discontentedness again at some point, but I am so thankful that God reminded me, yet again, that this is not how it should be. He is so faithful.
Outside on my back porch are two hanging Boston Ferns. The porch is shaded and it’s a great place to hang ferns. But sometimes I forget to water them. If I forget for too long (which thankfully, doesn’t happen too often), the edges of their leaves begin to turn brown and dry.
They still look green from a distance but when you look up close, you can see the stress.
I feel like my approach to cooking or any chore I don’t “love” has been like a fern with dry, brown leaves. I look good from a distance because I don’t really complain about it out loud (most of the time) but, inside, where God can see, my attitude has not been right.
And I realize that the joy of the Lord should water all of my day. And that when I bring that joy to anything, my whole attitude changes.
I am not sure if anyone else can relate to this or not. But I thought I’d share what God has been teaching me, just in case someone else would benefit by it.
I want to be someone who does everything for the glory of God and stops getting caught up in the lie that work is something to be gotten out of the way to get to the things we enjoy. Instead, I want to bring the joy of the Lord to whatever the Lord has for me.
And I’d rather guess that if you are still hanging around here, you want to do the same.
And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
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Colossians 3:17