“Home Chores & A Lesson’s Score”

One day while cleaning the kitchen, I noticed a small stain on the floor. It appeared to be residue from a prior spill that went unnoticed and dried onto the tile. The moment I saw it, I put extra cleaner on the spot and began mopping vigorously. I put an immense amount of pressure on the handle, assuming that if I scrubbed hard enough, the spot would disappear quickly.

When strong arming it didn’t work, I used more strength by pressing my body weight on the mop. The stain barely budged. I didn’t understand it. Eventually, I just eased up and continued to move the mop back and forth in a fast paced, effortless but consistent motion. Lo and behold, the spot began to disappear. The light, steady motion was more effective and faster than my previous attempt.

A REVELATION

Right there, the Holy Spirit began to speak to me about consistency and ease. My “thought out method” required a lot of energy and wasted resources. What I thought required more cleaning solution and pressure actually needed the opposite. God taught me a valuable lesson about persistence, patience and perseverance in life.

God revealed that it wasn’t the spot, the mop or the action. It was the method. I believe the LORD is saying that what ever we seek to accomplish won’t take much. We have all of the tools we need. If we ease up a little bit and allow our bodies to naturally extend effort towards our goals, we’ll discover divine methods and wisdom to succeed speedily. While motioning forward, God has graced us to retain our physical strength and peace while He orchestrates His master plan.

Mopping aside, I learned a great deal through mistakes and experiences wherein I over exerted myself in ways that brought nothing but hard labor, burdens and sorrow. In that state, I was so distracted by my surroundings that I neglected to see that there were many red flags among my choices, relationships and time spent. The good news is that God is the King of restoration. He is a God of double and One who “restores the years that the locusts and the canker worm stole”. He restores spiritual sight and leads us to green pastures .

The Spirit of the LORD makes all things new. No effort is ever wasted because in everything there is a lesson, blessing or experience counted for new wisdom. “All things work together for the good to them that love God and are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). Nothing is over until God says it’s over. Keep working, keep going, keep loving. Soon enough we will all see fruit that remains.

SOURCE REFERENCES

Matthew 11:28-30, Revelations 3:7-8, Isaiah 61:7-8, Joel 2:12-28 , Romans 8:28 , Isaiah 43:19. Proverbs 3:5-7, Isaiah 43:19-21, John 15:16, Psalm 23, biblegateway.com, bible.com.