Growth Through Monotony

Life is often filled with the repetitious, the predictable, and the mundane. All of us have experienced those times when we were trudging through dull days, monotonous routines, and tasks that seemed so unfulfilling. The great poet, Thoreau, once said, “We would be surprised to know just how many lives are lived in quiet desperation.”

Monotony is not the absence of things to do, but rather the absence of variety and purpose in those things we are doing. When we find ourselves in monotonous situations, we struggle with feeling that we are not accomplishing anything, and that our efforts are being wasted. Monotony can strip away our self-esteem and cause us to feel useless and unimportant.

I believe that when we are able to bring into our lives a sense of God’s presence and grace, it breaks us loose from the meaningless routines we feel so trapped in. It is knowing God in a personal way that brings meaning and purpose to our lives. When we are able to lift our eyes off of our circumstances, our burdens, and the endless routines that swallow up our day–and fix our gaze upon God’s love and guidance in our lives–it helps bring perspective to what we are doing.

It helps when we can ask God to come and take the things that seem so meaningless and routine to us, and see them as part of a bigger plan in our life to develop our faith, our commitment to others, and our growth as a person. When I can see the things in my life as being important to God, then they will take on new meaning for me.

I believe that a relationship with God, through His Son, Jesus Christ, gives us a larger vision of the meaning and significance of our lives, and helps us to keep things in proper perspective. The things that seem so mundane to me, may have great significance to God in the larger scope of life. Lord, keep me in the school of faith so that I may lovingly trust You with everything going on in my life!

“So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12