Transforming the Mundane into the Marvelous

Several years ago, a high-ranking military officer gave a college commencement address and offered a bit of advice: “First thing you do in the morning, make your bed.”

 

With all the admonitions he could have made, this commanding officer chose “make your bed”? He explained his reasoning: In making your bed, simple as that seems, you’ve achieved something positive to start your day. No matter what transpires afterward, you can feel good about having done at least one thing worthwhile.

 

Have you ever thought about all the repetitive tasks we perform each day? Besides making the bed (if that’s your practice), we get cleaned up and dressed for the day, eat breakfast, travel to work (unless you work from home, as I do), go through the workday, return home, have the evening meal, relax a bit, and then go to bed – so we can start the cycle over again tomorrow.

 

This doesn’t even include periodic chores like mopping the floors, vacuuming the carpet, doing the dishes, washing and drying clothes, taking out the trash, mowing the yard, and so on. As someone has said, the problem with everyday living is it’s so…daily. 

 

We have highlights to keep us motivated – significant, hard-earned achievements along with pleasant surprises. But in essence, life amounts to moments of magnificence surrounded by masses of mundane stuff. However, with a slight attitude adjustment, we can transform the mundane into the marvelous.

 

How? It starts with recognizing why we do what we do, even seemingly inconsequential things. Because in the Scriptures, Christ’s followers are admonished, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him…. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:17,23-24).

 

Looking at the world around us, it’s clear that God doesn’t do shabby work. His creation is filled with wonders. As His children – and faithful servants – we should always strive to reflect His character and excellence in what we do and the way we do it. Even repetitious chores probably no one will notice.

 

But what if you knew a special guest were coming to your home – the Lord Almighty? Do you think you’d make an extra effort to spiff things up? Or if the nameplate on the desk in your boss’s office read, Jehovah God. Do you think that might affect your approach to your work, even the little things?

 

One time Jesus was speaking to His followers about the proper use of their material possessions; He also implied stewardship of whatever the Lord has entrusted to us: “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much” (Luke 16:10). 

 

Sometimes the way we handle the ordinary and the mundane is a test to determine how well we would handle greater responsibilities and more exciting challenges. On another occasion, as recounted in Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus told of a man who instructed his servants to manage his property while he was away on a journey. He gave five talents of money to one servant, two talents to another, and one talent to the third – “each according to his ability.”

 

The one receiving the five talents shrewdly put the money to work, earning an additional five. The servant given two talents did much the same, gaining two more. However, the servant entrusted with only one talent buried it. He didn’t even put it in the bank to earn a bit of interest. His reasoning? He perceived his master as “a hard man…. I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.”

 

To the servants who used the money put in their trust to generate more, the master said, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” 

However, for the servant who did nothing with the money given other than hide it, there was no such praise. Instead, he heard, “You wicked, lazy servant!” His talent was given to the one who had managed to double his money from five to ten.

 

Jesus used this parable to explain the importance of faithful, reliable stewardship of whatever God puts into our care – money, opportunities, skills, even our time. He concluded by saying, “For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.”

 

Maybe making the bed seems like a very small thing. Why would that matter to God? But think again about what Jesus said: “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” If we would like the Lord to trust us with big, important things to do, a good place to start would be to demonstrate we can be trusted with little, “unimportant” things. 

Is Quality Still Job One?

Do you remember the Ford Motor Company commercial of years ago that proclaimed, “Quality is Job One”? According to the ad, the carmaker’s primary responsibility was to ensure buyers of its vehicles they would always receive the highest-quality products.

When I was reminded of this motto recently, it prompted me to wonder about quality: What is it, and how is it achieved? A recent visit to a plant operated by a manufacturing company I’ve been working with provided some insight into these questions.

We often think of quality in terms of something made with great precision and exquisite care. For instance, the Stradivarius violins and other stringed instruments handcrafted during the 17^th and 18^th centuries by members of the Stradivari family. Many experts consider these instruments – of which about 650 remain in existence today – to be unsurpassed in quality.

Whether it's slacks or shirts,
medication or canned goods, we expect
consistent quality every time.

That makes sense for things meticulously made one at a time. Time and effort can be devoted to making them as good as possible. But what about quality on a production line when hundreds or even thousands of something must be produced over a short period of time? As one of the men I was talking with at the manufacturing plant observed, quality is simply doing the job right each and every time. No exceptions.

Think of it this way: If you needed surgery, would you go to a surgeon whose success rate was only three out of five? For every three patients that did extremely well, two others died? Or how about an airline pilot with a 75% success rate on landings, meaning his planes crashed only one out of every four times? Would you be eager to travel on his aircraft?

When we look for quality, whether it’s prescription medicine, a can of beans, a computer or a mattress, we rightfully presume we’ll receive the manufacturer’s very best product every time we purchase it. As consumers we expect consistent, every-time quality and refuse to accept less than the highest standard.

But I sometimes wonder whether we have the same appreciation for quality when it comes to how we conduct our daily lives.

In Colossians 3:17 the apostle Paul wrote, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” In case we might have missed that admonition, he reinforced it six verses later: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” That sounds like a pretty high standard.

To me this means whether we’re a mail carrier, grocery clerk, schoolteacher, engineer, airline attendant or server in a restaurant, whatever we do should be done with quality that would be suitable for God Himself. That means putting forth our very best every time, regardless of the circumstances.

Whether we’re painting a room, cooking a meal, or performing volunteer work, we should do it as if doing it for the Lord – because ultimately, we are. In the Old Testament the Israelites were instructed to give always from their “first fruits,” selecting the very best to present to the temple priests. To give second best, offering their castoffs even once, was unacceptable.

The Bible doesn’t use the phrase, but for followers of Christ, it’s clear that “quality is job one.” Jesus gave us His very best – including His life on the cross. He deserves our very best in return. Not once, or occasionally, but all the time.