Drudgery

Every job has those little things that aren’t any fun, don’t get you any recognition, but have to get done. They range from mildly annoying to something that you really hate to do. Those tasks are particularly burdensome when you can’t see why they need to be done or why they need to be done by you. Even when you like your job, there are days where you’re caught up in the drudgery of these tasks.

Oswald Chambers makes a great point in his book, My Utmost for His Highest, when he says that “drudgery is the touchstone of character” (p. 167). Chambers explains that we look for the big things, the grandiose ways to please God. We search for inspiration rather than being faithful with the day-to-day tasks that await us.

That’s true in life, but it’s also true in workplaces. Those day-to-day tasks that make a great job feel like drudgery are perfect opportunities to honor God. As others complain and gripe, maybe you complete those tasks with a smile. As others do the work barely good enough, you put your heart into it because you know you’re working for God.

Chambers explains that “if I do my duty, not for duty’s sake, but because I believe God is engineering my circumstances, then at the very point of my obedience, the whole superb grace of God is mine.” Don’t wait for “big” moments to honor God at work. Look for the little things, the common tasks, and think about how you can be faithful to God in those.