If there is something below you, you aren't putting yourself low enough...

Is there that one chore or thing you just DON'T want to do? I think every house hold or family has THOSE things. And each person has things they don't especially like to do.

The thing I don't like doing is picking up my dog's poop.

THAT'S right, dog poop, it's my Kryptonite. When I'm tasked with this weekly project, I use the "two bag" method. One bag serves as a barrier for my hands, while the other bags is used for collecting the treasures my dog deposits.

I know it's ridiculous, but it's just something I don't like to do. BUT let's be honest, I highly doubt anyone LIKES cleaning up dog poop. I mean it's poop....

I think one of the reasons I especially dislike cleaning up dog poop is I feel that it's "below me." Meaning, I feel I'm too important of a person to be cleaning up my dog's doo-doo.

I want to use this feeling today to get at a bigger idea- service.

See the story I look at in the Bible that constantly amazes me is Jesus washing his disciples feet. To truly appreciate this story, we HAVE to know the context. This takes place a few thousand years ago. Jesus and his group aren't traveling by car, bus, or train. They are walking. They also don't have sketchers or nikes, so they are wearing sandals. They live is a desert region. So it's hot, and it's dusty, and it's dirty. At the end of each day, you can just imagine with all the walking how NASTY looking their feet are. BECAUSE also remember, it's a LONG time ago- these guys aren't getting pedicures, they don't spend too much time caring for their feet. So as I said- their feet are NASTY!

But you know who washes them? Jesus. Jesus gets down to the lowest level of a person- their feet- and Jesus cleans them. He serves his disciples- his friends- in this deep and meaningful way.

So my question for you is this- what things- whether they be a job, a chore, or a person- do you view as "below" you? AND if you are looking at something or someone that way, what does that mean for us?

For me, I think it's a pretty clear visual by going back to my undesired chore- dog poop cleanup. As much as I don't like doing it, I know that if I don't do it- I or someone else in my family is going to end up with something on their shoe.

When we see people or projects as below us, not only are WE losing- but other people are too.

I feel the Scripture from Romans 12:3 says it best-  ³ For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

Don't think more highly of yourself than you should. 

That is a powerful and important statement. 

I feel that our risk is that when we DO think too highly of ourselves, our chances of helping others decreases. We stop seeing the needs of others BUT instead consider the inconvenience it might be for us.


So as you move forward throughout your days approaching Christmas, I ask you to do two things. 
1. The next time you are doing that task or chore you feel is below you- Don't feel pity for yourself. Remember that no task should be below us. 
2. Look for opportunities to help others. Not just in our homes, or schools- BUT at the grocery store, Target, a coffee shop, or your neighbor. Everyone has an extra minute to help an elderly person carry a bag. OR if you aren't in a hurry at the check out- let the mom with 2 kids go first. 

Take the opportunities YOU have to put others first. 

That's the ultimate thing Jesus did. Jesus didn't just do that when washing the disciples feet, but Jesus did that on the cross. Jesus was perfect and without sin but YET He died for all OUR sin- Romans 5:8-  ⁸ but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Jesus put us first. Let's not keep that unconventional love to ourselves, but share that with others!
 

No thanks, I GOT this

I love my kids. They each are so unique and funny and exhausting. ALL at the same time. Recently, Isaiah has entered a new phase. I call it the "I GOT this" phase. He basically wants to do things by himself. It doesn't matter to him if it's not exactly the same way mom or dad would do it, it's more important to him that he does it by himself.

WELL this last weekend, Bec and I were having the fun "what are we having for dinner" conversation. We kept batting things back and forth. We even joked with Isaiah that we might make something he didn't like. WELL- he decided- I don't need you guys. I'll make my own meal. SO he did. Here are his results:

PB & J, Yogurt, Jello, Milk, and Water...he didn't do too bad for himself! 

Isaiah's self-made dinner went well. He DID it by himself! As a parent, we are excited for little things like this when kids start doing things for themselves. HOWEVER, just 3 days later Isaiah was presented with another challenge....and again he tried to do it all by himself.

Isaiah was playing hockey in our hallway and he knocked down our HUGE creative memories wall planner. The thing is packed with calendars, bills, pens, and all kinds of other random stuff. It hangs on the wall with two nails that are at about 6 feet high. So here is Isaiah trying to get the planner back on the wall by himself...

Just a little too short there buddy....you MIGHT need some help

Now I want to use these two illustrations today to talk about our reliance on God. Like Isaiah making his dinner, we try to do a lot of things by ourselves. We can DO IT! We don't need any help! Here is the problem though- did you check the date on the yogurt? While Isaiah was eating we asked him this question. He couldn't read the date and was frustrated. He shrugged and said, "It tastes ok, so I am going to keep on eating." (And NO we aren't those parents, we KNEW the yogurt was ok but wanted him to show him he can't do everything on his own.) 

And this is what we do in life- oh well, I guess it's ok- let's keep moving on. We did it by ourselves and that's all that matters.

WHY are we so stubborn? We have a God who cares about every waking need that we have. Yet we only want to rely on God for the big things. We only want to rely on God when we look up and realize there is NO WAY we are going to put the planner back on the wall by ourselves.

And I feel this is a big challenge for believers. If Isaiah at the age of 6 is already boldly and intentionally doing things on his own, how much more are we set in our ways as we get older? How do we start changing this?  How do we rely upon God in the each and everyday tasks in front of us?  

The truth is that God is present in everything we do on a daily basis. So what we need to do is let decisions not be ME decisions but OUR decisions. The our is God and you. A saying I saw recently that I liked was: If God is your co-pilot, you should switch seats.

A good analogy for this might be the way you look at a decision once you are married. Things come up on a daily basis where a decision needs to be made. Instead of making the decision on my own, and pushing forward, I will talk things over with my wife first.

What if we started doing the same thing ourselves with God? Start looping God into a little more each day of what we do. Now instead of forging ahead by ourselves, we begin to realize the closeness of God. God is THAT close. God is there.

Sometimes, a song tells it best. This song came out a few years ago, but I think it's a great reflection on a desired relationship I seek with God:
Me And God Song

So whether making a sandwich, a big decision, or putting back up a planner on the wall- don't forget to talk to God about it :)