Rethinking “Mundane” Motherhood

*Today I would like to welcome a blogging friend and fellow mom, Rebekah Hargraves, to guest post about motherhood and her new book about the Lies Moms Believe.

Affiliate links included below which means if you click through or purchase something through my links, I’ll receive a small compensation at no cost to you. see full disclosure here.

Not a day goes by that we don’t see the work we do as moms described as being “mundane”. Most likely, we are each in the habit of using that very terminology ourselves. The Lord has done a work in my heart in recent months, however, when it comes to the true depth of importance that God has assigned to motherhood. As I was working on a blog post on this topic last year and then again as I was writing Lies Moms Believe (And How the Gospel Refutes Them) this year, I have been convicted of this use of the word “mundane”, determining not to even use this word anymore in reference to the tasks of mothering and homemaking. I want to instead make it my mission to work towards having my vocabulary reflect the way God views the work I do as a mom within my home, and not as the culture views it.

This may seem a bit extreme to you, and if it does, I understand! After all, you’re probably thinking, How can I not view cleaning the bathtub or mopping the kitchen floor as being “mundane”? What is not mundane about doing the laundry for the fifth time this week?

It could be said that the work of mothering is so impactful that it truly alters the very course of nations!Click To Tweet

Hear me out, sweet mama. The work you do for your family is, when viewed through the lens of the Gospel, anything but mundane! It is anything but unimportant or without purpose! In fact, it could be said that the work of mothering is so impactful that it truly alters the very course of nations! As the saying goes, “The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world!”

Why “Mundane” and “Motherhood” Don’t Mix

When we understand the full lasting implications of the work of a mother, when we grasp the fact that we are raising up the leaders of tomorrow, when we realize that the work we do within our homes directly shapes what our world will look like 20, 30, 40 years from now, and when we understand that our mission to train up our children in the way that they should go (Proverbs 22:6), and our work to raise them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord will directly influence whether or not our children follow after Christ, we will begin to see just how important and purposeful the tasks of mothering truly are – even tasks like cleaning or cooking!

What got me started on this mission to remove “mundane” from my vocabulary when it comes to motherhood was what I discovered when I actually looked up the true definition of “mundane”:

• lacking interest or excitement; dull

• of this earthly world rather than a heavenly or spiritual one

When we begin to see that each and every one of the myriad little tasks we perform each day has a direct impact on our children’s future, we can certainly begin to find more “interest and excitement” in them, for we will see that they carry purpose, importance, and impact. So, that does away with the first definition!

Likewise, when we understand that our work within our homes is to be done “as unto the Lord” (Col. 3:23) and will greatly influence whether or not future generations within our care live for Him, we begin to understand that our seemingly “mundane” household tasks are actually not mundane at all, for they truly are spiritual, heavenly works, rather than mere earthly ones.

Though we are hereby debunking the concept of “mundane” work, you may still be left wondering how exactly our little daily tasks factor into the big picture of what we are wanting to accomplish in our homes as we raise our children. How exactly is our scrubbing the toilet, making what feels like the tenth meal of the day, or running another load of laundry affecting the world? How is scrubbing the bathroom tile aiding in our mission to live out the Great Commission with our kids? To answer these great questions, we first have to grasp the fact that this day — and absolutely everything we do in it — truly is a building block for tomorrow and can be used to teach our children a valuable lesson. In reality, anything and everything can be turned into a teaching moment! We see evidence of this in the Word:

“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”  ~Deuteronomy 6:6-7

Discipling your children is not primarily about sitting down with them at specific pre-scheduled times of the day to read through the Bible together (though that is an important thing to do!). Truly discipling your children in a manner that will really have a lasting impact is about taking the truths of God’s Word and directly applying them to each facet of daily life together, illustrating in a tangible way for your children just how very relevant and applicable the Word of God is to any struggle, question, or challenge we ever face in life.

To every Mom: your work of mothering is world-changing, heart-impacting, soul-enriching work. All of it!Click To Tweet

Having moms understand this characteristic of the Bible is precisely why I wrote Lies Moms Believe. We need to be training our children to look to the Word each time they have a question about life. Which means that we can take even tasks like cleaning the house, preparing food, and doing laundry and view them each as being important work which can have lasting impact on the souls of our children:

• When we make yet another meal for our family, we are saying we are concerned with their wellbeing. We are saying we want to take care of them. We are also working towards their health, which will impact their standard of life and their ability to serve the Lord and others.
• When we scrub yet another toilet and do yet another load of dishes, we are saying we care about the hygiene of our family and are concerned with providing a clean, welcoming environment to both our family and guests alike (which can have a huge impact on our pursuit of fulfilling the Great Commission!)
• When we kiss another booboo, read another story, wipe another nose, and answer another question, we are telling our children we love and delight in them, that they are important to us, and that we want what is best for them. This will go a long way towards their being more willing to heed our instructions, trust our wisdom, and respect our direction (see Proverbs 23:26).

I love the story my mothering hero, Sally Clarkson, shares about when her daughter, Sarah, was asked one day what she thinks it was that her parents did which most had an impact on her desire to follow Christ and walk with Him. Her answer may surprise you: “I think [I believe in God] because of the french toast with maple syrup my mom used to serve on Sunday mornings.” What she meant was that it was Sally’s dedication to putting much thought and love into providing tasty meals for her family and creating a kitchen table environment centered around love, discussion, listening, and sharing, that inspired Sarah to follow in the ways of God. Isn’t that amazing? Remember that testimony the next time you are tempted to view cooking another meal for your family as being a “mundane” task!

Look Up, Mama!

The cry of my heart, sweet mama, is that you would grasp once and for all the grand importance of the work you perform in your home on a daily basis. Your work of mothering is world-changing, heart-impacting, soul-enriching work. All of it! From making the beds to sweeping the floors, what you are doing is not “mundane”. Stop buying into that lie from Satan. Instead, combat it with the truth of God’s Word – the truth that every single thing you do in your journey of mothering is influencing your children, your children’s children, and the world as a whole! Satan knows this to be true, which is why he is working overtime to deceive you! Don’t allow him to any longer, sweet friend. The next time you feel tempted to give in to despair, thinking your daily work to be mere mundane drudgery, look up and fix your eyes on Christ. You are working to advance His Kingdom every day as you pour into your kids. Your work is important. You have purpose, mama. Never forget that.

Order a copy of  Rebekah’s first book: “Lies Moms Believe (And How the Gospel Refutes Them)”.

There is also a coffee mug to go along with the book: Living the Mom Life Free From Lies Mug.

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Bio: Rebekah Hargraves is a wife, mama of two littles, home business owner, podcaster, and blogger residing in TN. Her passion is to bless fellow Christian women through her writings on her website, Hargraves Home and Hearth, which exists to “edify, equip, and encourage women in their journey of Biblical womanhood”. 

Facebook: Hargraves Home and Hearth

Instagram: @rebekahhargraves

Twitter: @hhomeandhearth

Website: Hargraves Home and Hearth