Sorting socks

Yesterday, I was sorting and folding socks when a prayer came. “Lord, I’m doing this for You. It has always been for You.”

I smiled, remembering back more than thirty-five years ago. One day, I was feeling sorry for myself. The children were small, the farm house was large, and there was a lot of work on my shoulders. My husband worked away during the week and was exhausted when he came home. I did my chores without much recognition or motivation. During that time, the Lord taught me something simple: “Do it for me.”

I’m just getting into a very busy week. Yesterday’s spontaneous prayer and this morning’s devotional are timely reminders of the motivation that makes even ordinary tasks meaningful. The verse says:

Walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. (Ephesians 5:2)

This verse is about ‘agape’ love, sacrificial actions that are for someone else’s well-being, particularly their eternal well-being, but it does extend to the little things, like folding socks.

However, behind the action is a motivation. On a human level, I could be motivated by my husband’s appreciation. Do other wives regularly hear, “Thank you for clean socks”? I do. Or I could do it for the satisfaction of a drawer filled with clean socks and another item checked off my to-do list. Or I could do it because I like to do laundry (not).

Those motivations are fine, but they come and go because those rewards come and go. Besides, they are all about me. Doing the socks and doing any other routine tasks for the Lord as an offering and a sacrifice (when I’d rather be doing other things) is permanent and lasting. He is always pleased with me and always smiles at the tiniest things.

My devotional reading defines love in action and gives Scripture to back up the definitions.  It says that love teaches the truth to others, and ministers to their needs, and sets an example by serving others and stimulating them to grow. Love covers other people’s faults and forgives. Love endures the problems and idiosyncrasies of others and sacrifices on their behalf. Love offers spiritual truth, help, and concern to those in need and is the heart of Christian living.

For me, agape love is all those things, but it is also like the love of Jesus who died for me. His motivation was doing what He did as “an offering and a sacrifice to God.” I am important to Him, but He did it to please and obey His Father.

With His help, I can love like He does. When I do, my focus and motivations are in Him and from Him. Because of that, He fills me with great joy and that Jesus kind of joy makes even folding socks a delightful thing.

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