Of the many things to be thankful for, one in particular struck me, as a mom, wife, and woman in ministry: that is being thankful for God’s calling. Oftentimes, it is easier to focus on feeling tired and being busy and see monotonous, daily tasks as negative. However, meaningful work and busyness IS a blessing in itself.
This is a longer excerpt from Nancy’s book, but I thought it may be helpful to you. This is one of my favorite parts of this book so far.
“…But have you thought about being thankful for what I call ‘the blessing of meaningful work?’? I realize some of that work may seem monotonous, menial, or meaningless…Those tasks may leave you exhausted at the end of the day (or sooner!).
Recently, I stopped to contemplate …the responsibilities of some of the Levites. Some were assigned to count the temple utensils every time they were used. Others ‘prepared the mixing of the spices’ used for incense. And then, there was Mattithiah, who was ‘entrusted with making the flat cakes’. Not exactly job descriptions most would dream of having! But these faithful servants glorified God through embracing and fulfilling their calling, day in & day out…I find that the ‘burden’ of my workload is lightened when I approach it as a high & holy calling, a gift to be received with gratitude.”
~ ”Choosing Gratitude”, Nancy Leigh DeMoss
As I really considered the Levite’s mixing spices every day and making flat cakes, and counting utensils, I immediately saw us women mixing up pancakes and washing the same dishes several times a day. I wonder how many Levites grumbled about their jobs? I wonderif they sawhow important their jobs were to the keeping of the temple and how it contributed to the overall appearance of the One, Holy God to the nations?
Imagine if the temple was an unorganized mess, and the priest couldn’t find the necessary utensils for the ceremonies? What if they never had the flat bread necessary to perform the rites of worship? The surrounding nations wouldn’t look very favorably upon the Israelites, rather their sloppiness would call into question their sincerity about worshiping their God. Neighbors would see that Israel’s God wasn’t great enough to have devoted followers. How would that cause anyone to stand in awe of God or attract them to find out more about Him?
Monotony does not indicate “unimportant” as we often interpret it. Monotonous tasks are ordained by God to be a part of our lives. What we do daily, as monotonous as it is, contributes mightily to God’s plan because God has chosento use these very things to show His character to the world. And one of the most important characteristics is simple (albeit difficult) faithfulness. You don’t find faithfulness in a better place than completing--with excellence and devotion--the same things every day, over and over again.
In fact, they are not only responsibilities, but real life opportunities that we have (several times every day!) to show God our love and faithfulness toward Him. And it is extra special because it is just between us and Him. How special these tasks then become!
“And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” ~Matt. 6:4
“Let your light shine before others so they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.” ~Matt. 5:16I hope you enjoy your “Levite” duties all the more this week and find a renewed thankfulness in your heart for your calling!
