Finding Meaning in the Mundane

I’m in a season of mundane work.

Piles of laundry greet me, the work of training my kids in righteousness is relentless, and the dishes never end.

My consolation has, surprisingly, come from the study of Zechariah with my church. Zechariah prophesied to encourage and redirect the hearts of the exiles rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem. The returned exiles fell quickly into the pit of discouragement as they faced the tedious work of rebuilding a destroyed city and temple, all while facing the fierce opposition of nearby nations.

God spoke through a vision of Zechariah to remind His people of His covenant faithfulness to them as they did the seemingly tedious work of rebuilding the Temple with a sword in one hand and a trowel in the other. The Lord reset their gaze with this assurance: “Whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice” (4:10a, ESV). He reminded them that His plans come to fruition–every time. By His might, His Word, and His mercy He uses the small things to build a great kingdom.

1 Chronicles 9:28-33 gives us more of a picture of the “day of small things” that the exiles faced through the genealogy of returned exiles. Among the list of names we see the jobs that the Levites were tasked with in the care of the temple, and we’d likely be tempted to call these mind-numbing: counting the utensils before and after use, mixing spices, and caring for the furniture. Mundane, tedious, and boring. Yet, each task was crucial for the operation of the temple–for God to be worshipped. How valuable then was the assurance that the small work of rebuilding brick by brick, and one utensil at a time, would produce a season of rejoicing in the Lord’s restoration!

This was not for nothing. Neither is the work of your hands.

Are you in a day of small things? Maybe your daily tasks feel like the tedious work of counting utensils or rebuilding with one hand while holding a sword in the other. Are you weary and discouraged? You are not alone. But remember, the smallest things are used by Him too–He will use them for His glory and our good. (Rom. 8:28)

Everything unto the Lord, sister.

Meet the Author
Stephanie Wilcox

Stephanie is an avid tea drinker, thrifter, and reader. Stephanie and her husband, Brandon, live in the Pittsburgh suburbs with their three children, where they enjoy participating in serving the body of Christ together. In the constant pursuit of delight in the Creator, you can most often find her outside with her kids, with bare toes in the grass, hiking, or pulling weeds out of her mediocre garden.