I had a conversation yesterday with one of my SummerCare parents who works in public schools.   She is a wonderful lady and is very dedicated to her work.  I had a trash can in my hand and was headed out front to pick up trash which was on our academy property.  She said, “My daughter can help.  I am not against child labor.”  I said, “That is a great idea!”  She then told me they weren’t allowed to have the children pick up trash.  She even said a parent got upset because her child was asked to wipe off tables.  The mother felt it was demeaning.  I was mortified. What does that teach our children?

As I watched the children clean up the lawn out front, I began to think about what she had said.  I was very proud of our children.  We made it a game to see how many pieces of trash they could pick up. They did a great job, much better and quicker than I could have by myself. They seemed even to enjoy themselves. The children also learned valuable lessons as well.  They asked, “Why do people throw trash on the ground?”  I told them that some people are lazy and care more about themselves than taking care of God’s earth.  They seemed sad that people would throw trash on the ground.  Hopefully, one of the things they learned was that when you are lazy and don’t do what you are supposed to someone else has to do it for you.  I’ll have to remind them of that when we are picking up trash on the playground.

What has happened to many Americans?  Why would anyone feel it is demeaning to wipe off tables and pick up trash?  Can you imagine what would have happened if the men and women who settled this country had felt that way?  Can you imagine what some of the comments might have been?  “I can’t cut that wood.  I might work up a sweat.  I have to use my hands to do laundry.  What about my nails?”  How absurd!

I was raised that you do whatever it takes to get the job done, and you do it right.  If that means mopping floors, cleaning bathrooms, or taking out the trash, then you do it.  My first job, unless you count babysitting, was at a fast food place, Kentucky Fried Chicken.  Yes, it was around back then.  I got a job to pay for gas, etc., and I bought many of my school clothes.  There aren’t many sixteen-year-olds with jobs nowadays.  I know working for my new boss taught me a great deal.  I had to clean tables and the bathroom on occasion.  I also ran the cash register and packed the chicken.  Of course, KFC has changed a great deal, but the basics are the same.  I would not have kept my job long if I had told my boss I didn’t want to clean tables, nor should I have.

When a person feels that a job is beneath them, there is definitely a pride issue.  God Almighty created each one of us to serve Him.  When we think we are too good to serve, we have missed our purpose.  Jesus was the master servant.  Remember when He washed the disciple’s feet.  He did it to show love and humility.  God chose to do the job of a servant.  Who are we to protest menial jobs, if there is such a thing?

Now that doesn’t mean people shouldn’t clean up after themselves and take their turns.  We should have the decency to clean up after ourselves and pick up our own trash.  If we make a mess in the bathrooms, we need to clean it up.  To expect our spouse, parent, co-worker, or employee to wait on us and clean up our messes is very selfish and lazy.  At the academy, our students are assigned a turn to clean tables after lunch.  We do not expect them to throw away everyone’s trash or pick up everyone’s mess.  But we do expect the students to clean up after themselves, and the table washer just washes the tables.  That is the way it should be.

On many occasions, we find ourselves cleaning up unnecessary messes, like picking up paper someone else tossed.  It makes it hard to have the right attitude in this case.  Someone I love very much shared with me how she approaches a task like this.  An unusually messy task needed to be done, and no one wanted to do it.  It was hard to want to clean it because some people thought the task was beneath them, even though they had made most of the mess. She had decided she was going to do the chore because it needed to be done.  As she gathered her supplies together, she prayed to the Lord.  She asked Him to give her the right heart. It was interesting what she shared with me.  She said the Lord told her, “I need someone to clean the bathroom for me today.”  She looked up and told the Lord, “I’ll do it, Lord.”

Wow!  I often have cleaned up nasty messes and plunged toilets.  I have taken out trash and other things, but I never looked at it quite that way before.  I began to look at the chores I had to do at work and at home in a different way. When you serve in a small ministry, you have to have this heart.  Many things need to be done, and everyone has to chip in to do them.  But shouldn’t it be this way in everything we do?  When people preach or sing for the church, they often pray and give God the glory.   Why is that different?

Let us give the glory for all that we do, no matter what the size of the task.  May we say I will do this for You, Lord?  This job or task is for You.  I am answering Your call.  Never feel you are too good to do a job.  Please do not teach your children they are too good to do a task.  Our Lord did not feel He was too good to die for us.  I am so glad that when God said, “I need someone to save my people.”  Jesus said, “I’ll do it, Father.  I’ll pay the sacrifice.  I’ll die for them.”

Have you convinced yourself that some tasks are beneath you?   Ask yourself, what am I willing to do for my Savior?  No task should be too small, or too great! The important thing is to be about your Father’s business… whatever that entails, and always give Him the glory.

Mrs. Worthington has five children and eleven grandchildren.  She serves as Principal of Pathway Christian Academy in Goldsboro.