Duty, a word heard often and associated commonly in our culture today with drudgery. And yet, it is precisely the ordinary, mundane moments of faithfully carrying out our God-ordained duties that have the potential to become the most powerful tools for forming the legacy we desire for our families and advancing the Kingdom of God in our world.

“Do not despise the day of small things.”

Zechariah 4:10

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In a blog post written for the Desiring God website, Scott Hubbard remarks on this passage of Zechariah, stating “… for all of his bigness, our God has a remarkable love for the small. He sets his eye upon small people in small places during small moments…. If we are genuinely faithful in the day of small things, our small obedience will become big - but not usually right away, and not often in the ways we expect.”

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Scott goes on to say, “How do we worship a God who works like this? It will mean praying for the big, longing for the big, and working for the big - all while faithfully and contentedly devoting ourselves to the small. Pray for revival, and then prepare breakfast for the kids. Dream of the knowledge of God’s glory flooding the earth (Habakkuk 2:14) and then break a taste of that glory to the neighbor next door… As long as we are in the day of small things, then, our job is to bear the Spirit’s fruit of faithfulness as we wait for God to bring the big things (Galatians 5:22-23). And our job is to see, by faith, all the big things right in front of us.”

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This is the crux of it. The seeds of the small acts of faithfulness in the midst of the ordinary will yield fruit for the Kingdom, but we have to have the vision to see the purpose in the everyday. So keep going… whether it’s preparing another meal, opening the Word of God together as a family, changing a diaper, or showing up to your workplace committed to glorifying God.

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Here are a few practical tips to help you remain faithful in the mundane:

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• Change your perspective

Colossians 3:23 tells us “whatever you do, work at it with all of your heart, as working for the Lord and not for man.” We have an opportunity to do everything (yes, even scrubbing toilets) for the glory of God. Additionally, it can be helpful to remember that we are also working to serve our family. Instead of grumbling about having to clean up shoes by the front door again, take a moment to be grateful for the people who fill those shoes. If you struggle to be faithful with laundry, try praying a prayer of thanksgiving for God’s provision while you collect dirty clothes or pray for the person whose laundry you are folding (For example, while folding socks: Thank you God for ________. I pray their feet will follow your lead and will fulfill whatever purpose you have for them today.) It can also be helpful to put up a scripture verse near places where work is typically done (For example, right above your sink to look at as you wash dishes). When our focus is fixed on the purpose behind the task, every day moments turn into worship.

• Make it fun

Turn a daily routine or task into a game, work for a reward, or try listening to a podcast or an audiobook while doing it. Sometimes changing up the way you do something or making it fun can motivate you to keep going even when you don’t want to.

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• Just do it

Sometimes there just isn’t any other way around a task than to just do it. In these moments, training in self-discipline has great value.

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