FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotional — “Street Hero”

I am a firm believer in chores.  Not that I enjoy them particularly—I’m not that kind of crazy.  It’s just that I realize that it takes a lot of work to keep a household or business running, and chores are a necessary part of that process.  And in my opinion, if you are a part of that group, then you have some kind of responsibility to help with the process.  So I’m willing to push up my sleeves and do what needs to be done: dishes, laundry, dusting, etc.  All that being said, there are certainly some chores I prefer waaaaaaaaaay more than others, and I’m guessing I’m not the only one.

Some chores are just mentally or physically overwhelming.  I’m not sure why, but it just seems like certain tasks are extra-taxing.  For example, I don’t mind washing dishes, but I despise putting them away.  I can scrub plates all day long, even crusty baked-on lasagna pans, but when I see a dishwasher or sink full of clean dishes that need putting away, my heart sinks and all of my will to live escapes me.  Can I get an “Amen”?

Other to-do’s are just too gross.  Perhaps the thought of pulling hair out of the drain makes yours stand on end.  Or maybe you’d rather clean the whole house than have to clean up after the dog…or cat…or baby.  Doo-doo to-do’s are universally undesirable, right? 

Back when I was single, I woke up one morning to discover an opossum had died in my yard overnight.  (It was the swarm of flies that tipped me off.)  Realize, that was at least 15 years ago, but even as I type this I can feel my shoulders creeping up to my ears in disgust.  I had no idea how to dispose of the corpse, and I didn’t even want to try to figure it out.  Praise God for friendly neighbors who come bearing shovels and black trash bags!  Isn’t it a blessing when someone is willing to do that nasty task for you?

What about you?  What are your least favorite chores?  What grosses you out or seems too much to handle?  Who steps in to help you out when it’s your turn to do that too-tough, too-yucky task?

I can only imagine the things you’re sharing right now.  Some of them are probably more disgusting than I care to imagine.  I’d wager that none of you included this on your list: die for your sins.  (If you did mention it, I hope you dropped the mic, because that is the worst of the worst as far as chores are concerned.)  We don’t really think about, but according to the Bible, this is something we all have to do.  I mean, you could skip making your bed or brushing your teeth (please don’t), but dying for our sins is a requirement.  “[F]or all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God,…[and] the wages of sin is death,…” (Romans 3:23; 6:23)  What a horrible, depressing, overwhelming, yucky task!  Death!!  (Unless, of course, you haven’t sinned?  Yeah…didn’t think so.)

Aren’t we blessed that we have someone who stepped in to handle that chore for us!  Read what John the Baptist said: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)  That’s exactly what Easter is all about, right?  We celebrate that through His death on the cross, Jesus died for ALL of our sins.  That’s ALL of the sins for ALL of us. That means, if we have a relationship with Jesus, we can permanently cross “die for sins” off our to-do lists. Hallelujah! 

Take time together as a family praying and praising Jesus for doing the horrible task of dying for your sins.    Mom and Dad, if your kids have not prayed and asked Jesus to save them from their sins, now is the perfect time.  Ask them if they would like to invite Jesus to come into their hearts and forgive them of their sins.  Guide them as they pray.  They celebrate!!  Share the news with friends, family, and church leaders so they can celebrate, too!