By: Dawn Elliot
In a recent conversation with a young newlywed, she was lamenting how much laundry her new husband generated and how much she hated doing laundry. As we chatted, I shared with her two things.
First, I reminded her of how long she had prayed for her husband and how God had answered her prayer by allowing her to marry this godly man that she loved. Philippians 2:14 tells us to “do all things without grumbling or disputing.” Is that always easy? Absolutely not. It takes practice. And do you know how our children best learn this? When we model it. I never remember my mom complaining about household tasks, even when we came in late at night after a basketball game with dirty uniforms. She happily washed them and had them ready for the next day. Her example reminds me not to complain about household tasks but to thank God for the blessing of family and the love and the work that comes with that blessing.
Secondly, I challenged her to think of doing her husband’s mountain of laundry with an attitude of service. Galatians 5:13 reminds us to “through love serve one another.” It goes on in verse 14 to tell us that we should love our neighbor as ourselves. Any command in Scripture should start in our own homes. Where better to put the principles of Scripture into practice than with the ones that we love the most. I will quickly admit that this “practice” is not always easy. I prayed for boys; I got boys. Do you know what comes with boys? A filthy bathroom. Bathroom cleaning is not my favorite chore, but it is definitely a way for me to practice serving my family with love.
While the world tells us to focus on ourselves, God’s Word tells us to serve one another in love without grumbling.
What about you? How do you feel about laundry?
Shine! 