The Daily Grind

“The problem with life is that it’s so daily.” Have you ever heard that statement? Many people are caught up in a daily routine that provides little satisfaction. They wake up, eat breakfast (maybe), go to work, come home, eat supper, watch TV, go to bed, and wake up the next day to do it all over again.

What’s wrong with this picture? Maybe it’s not “wrong.” Just boring. Unfulfilling. Joyless. None of these activities is bad. It just seems like there should be more to life than this.

Of course, relationships make a huge difference. Everything, even work, can be meaningful if our relationship with God is strong, and our relationship with our co-workers is tolerable at the least, and perhaps even enjoyable. “Do all things without murmurings and disputings,” (Philippians 2;14). “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men” (Colossians 3:23). Attitude makes a huge difference in our daily activities. How is yours today?

Some of us get stuck in situations we don’t like. Maybe there are things that we could change if we tried. But if not, we can ask God how to work it all out for His honor. We might be surprised how a good thing can result from a bad one. After all, God is the Master of Transformation. If He could take the ugliest thing in all the world – the crucifixion of His Son, and make it a beautiful thing in our lives, can He not do that with anything?

Sometimes we can add beauty to our lives with little effort. Picking a bunch of flowers (or buying them at Sprouts) always cheers me up. Listening to a favorite piece of music lifts my soul. For me, doing something creative like writing music or a poem or baking something gives me fulfillment. Perhaps you can’t do that. But you could use your gifts to encourage someone. Write a note. Give some flowers. Take someone a bowl of soup. Smile at the cashier. Knowing that God can use the little things brings inspiration.

My challenge to you today is to do something outside your normal routine. Recognize that God can work in the”everydayness” of your life. What might that look like for you?