Cleaning has been a hard task lately. Not the act of cleaning itself but the time it takes to clean every mess that happens in a 24-hour period. Sometimes I think… How many times must I clean the dining table today? How many times must I sweep the kitchen? How are there dishes in the sink already? How did you think writing on the wall was a good idea? How is there possibly another load of laundry already? We are a family of six now. We have four kids, ages five and under. So, cleaning is a constant battle for me and my husband.
Think about serving God not man when you clean
Although, my head can be filled with thoughts concerning how much we have to clean, I am thankful that I get a chance to serve my family in a way that benefits them daily. My serving reflects the image of Jesus Christ, who served unconditionally, patiently, humbly, obediently and lovingly. Christ loved us so much that he laid down his life for us. In the midst of cleaning and the many mundane tasks that I do as a stay-at-home mom, I realize that I am laying down my thoughts and the way that I think things need to be done to serve my family and others in a way that pleases God and not me. See Philippians 2:4.
We place a lot of pressure on ourselves trying to make our home look like some picture you saw on Pinterest and instead of enjoying your home you become discontent and complain about how it’s so hard to clean without “insert the thing you think you need.” Look around. Go ahead. Look at all the things you have. Whether its much or little, God has given you exactly what you need for this moment. Be a good steward of what he has given to you and when you need more trust that God will supply.
Invite your children to help you
Sometimes cleaning seems so daunting because we place all the pressure on us to do everything. Share the work with those in your household by:
- State that you cannot care for the home without the help from your spouse and/or children. I recognize when I have an attitude of teaching them how to help the household, I recognize that they catch on quickly in how to clean well. My children are ages 6, 5, 3 and 1. All of my children help clean because they understand that they are a valuable help to the household when they care for it by cleaning.
- Place what needs to be cleaned in a visible spot for everyone to see.
- Make sure they know how to clean a certain area before they are assigned to clean it so it may noy lead to more frustration.
- Remove the picture in your mind of how you think things need to look rather focus on cleaning in the best way for your family’s needs.
Although vacuuming, mopping, sweeping, folding can seem like a mundane task, it’s an honor and a joy to see my children’s desire to help me clean. They are not cleaning because they love the act of cleaning rather, they are imitating what they have seen their parents do. This same principle can be used in the life of Christians today. We don’t always initially love the act of doing everything God calls us to do rather we do it because we desire to be imitators of Christ.
As I sit here with a pile of dishes calling my name. I find rest in Christ knowing that the effort it takes for me to stand over a sink for 45 minutes, when I have been working all day to care for our children is worth every ounce of my energy.
Actually, I need to go now. I have to clean…..
