Worshiping God In The Mundane

What does worshiping God mean to you? What does it look like? What thoughts come to your mind? What do you envision?

I used to assume that if someone mentioned they were worshiping God, that they were within the 4 walls of a church. And at a named event, that was designated for that very purpose.

Never did I imagine that I could worship God while folding laundry, doing the dishes, and just living within the mundane.

Worship is basically giving reverence towards something. It is a showing of love and devotion towards something or someone. And for me, I devote my life to worshiping God. Yet my perspective and perceptions are often skewed and filled with expectations that are completely untrue.

I often think I have to come to God ready. Ready in the sense that I feel put together. Where my mind is in the right place. Where I am sitting quiet. And I am free from the stresses of the moment. But if I’m honest, that is rare and that actually is NOT what God wants. He wants me to worship him in the moments of stress, in the noise, in the most unexpected places. He wants me anywhere, anytime, and in any way. And that’s when my perspective and perception changed.

Laundry

One of my most quiet moment in life, even if for a few seconds, is while folding laundry. I seclude myself in our bedroom (with door open stil)l, but I can usually get about 5 minutes to myself, making a fold here, a fold there, and organizing the clothes by like item. It’s during this time that I gather my thoughts and often think of others in my life, and offer up a prayer. I’m not dressed in my Sunday best. Sometimes I’m still in my pajamas. Glasses are on, no make-up, and it’s just me, God, and the laundry. A time of worship.

Showering

Assuming you shower :), what if you took that time to worship God? I often turn up some music on my phone and just let the truths of the songs fill my heart and fill my voice with praises to God. An act of worship. Showing reverence to Him that boy, I don’t have it all together and I need to give it all to the one who does.

Bedtime

How about when you put your child to bed? Our daughter wants me to sing songs to her every single night and 9 times out of 10, she will fall asleep to me singing. I could sing any ole song, but sometimes I choose one that I need to hear or let my heart listen to. Not only is Mazy subconsciously learning these songs (it’s amazing what she actually remembers), but it’s 5 or 10 minutes of me just singing to him. May seem mundane, but it’s a worship-moment.

Devotions

After lunch and/or supper are finished, it’s easy to just want to run off and do our thing. Same for our kids! Mom, can I get down and play? Does that sound familiar? It’d be so easy to say yes, as my husband and I finish up our supper. But one thing we try to stay in the habit of doing is family devotions. We are using the kid’s devotional “Indescribable” by Louie Giglio (HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!!) and what a perfect time it is for us to talk about God, the vastness of him, and her faith. And to take the time to pray. Even though her prayers may be repeats often, she is still praying with her little faith that I believe can move mountains.

Driving

We all drive. But often, a car ride is FAR from quiet, right? What if you just talked about what you see out the window and how GOD made this, made that, etc. What if you turned on the radio and helped your kiddos learn a new song? Or just asked them questions like, what is your favorite part about being outside? About going to church? About anything? Conversation starters that can lead to candid conversations about God. A way to worship – a way to show reverence to the one you serve!

Picking Up

Do you feel you are either doing this yourself or asking your kiddos to pick up 1,000 times a day? Whether it be dishes, laundry, toys, your own stuff, mail, etc., think about how many things you TOUCH in a day. Just merely TOUCH. Are you thankful for it? Gratitude is an act of worship. What if each time you had to put something away, you thanked God for it? We had to teach Mazy the hard way and we all will never forget the moment. She refused to pick up her toys, so we said fine, if you don’t pick up and take care of your things, then they are going in the trash. For the next hour, it was a scream fest and some even went in the trash. Her favorite paw patrol toys. After she realized we were serious, she started to pick up and we talked about what happened. Mind you, she is still beside herself. But then we introduced the idea of grace. What if we took them back out and gave her another chance? And so we did. And she put them away. And since then, if she refuses to pick up, all we have to do is mention, “Well, then we know where to put them…”And her immediate response is, NOT IN THE TRASH and boom, they are picked up.

All that to say, Mazy has so many options of things to play with and we never want her to take them for granted. So when she isn’t wanting to pick up, we remind her that there are many children who do not have what she does, and if we can’t take care of what we have and be a good steward over it, then we should pass them on to someone else. And believe it or not, she has told me, “Mom, I don’t play with this, let’s give it to someone else.” Also know that there are some things she vows to never get rid of too, but all these lessons have taught us that we need to be grateful for what we have. And in thankfulness, we can worship and show reverence to the one who has so graciously given to us.

Groceries

I have this odd love of getting groceries. Not sure why, but I know for many, it’s a chore and a pain in the posterior. But did you know you can worship God while getting groceries? What if you took that time to thank God for the ability to buy that item you just put in your cart? Or prayed for that person you walked past in the aisle? Or even just shared a smile? Showing gratitude for others and for what’s in our carts, is showing reverence to God. Worshiping doesn’t have to be in the aisle of a church – it can be in the aisle of a grocery store!

While At Home

This is a unique time for us all. We can’t worship in our own churches and oh do I look forward to the day! But that doesn’t mean we can’t or should stop worshiping God. Our homes are places of worship too. Our cars. The outdoors. Remember, the church is not a building, but a people. And as people, we have the opportunity to worship God in everything we do.

1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

Do I live my life in such a way? Not always. I get self-focused and forget why I am here and Who I am here for. But while living in my own home, I can’t forget that THIS is a place of worship too. And what better place to teach my child to worship, than within the mundane – within the 4 walls of our home?

God wants us. He wants you. He wants you in whatever way he can get you. He doesn’t care if you come with matted hair, dirty clothes, a stressed body, or a worn out heart. He WANTS that. Come as you are. And I GUARANTEE you, after spending even just a minute with him, there will be something in you that changes. Though worship is for him, it’s often our hearts that change too. Worship him in the mundane and you will find that the mundane, isn’t so mundane.