Every Family Has Chores

By Mike Glenn

When I was young, I couldn’t wait until I grew up. When I grew up, I told myself, no one was going to make me do chores ever again. When I was big, I wouldn’t have to mow the grass before I went out to play, or empty the trash before meeting my friends for pizza. When I was grown and on my own, I’d never have to clean up my room or make my bed.

Boy, was I ever wrong. Well, not totally wrong. I mean, if I didn’t want to empty the garbage, I didn’t have to. If I didn’t want to clean my room, no one would yell at me. Nothing would get done, but no one would yell at me. I found out what everyone who grows up finds out – you still have to do chores. The only difference is when you’re grown and don’t do you chores your mom doesn’t bail you out.

It’s a hard lesson, but one that everyone must learn. Life has chores. Period. They aren’t fun. They aren’t sexy, but they have to be done nonetheless. You can only mash down the garbage in the can so many times before you create an even bigger mess. You can only wear the same pair of socks for so long before you have to break down and wash your clothes.

Chores. They’re just part of life.

In trying to find words to describe life together in the church, Jesus chose the image of family. The terms “brother” and “sister” carried a very deep meaning for Jesus. In Him, people from all over the world – from every tongue, ethnicity and social strata – became family. In our world of fractured families, we’re rediscovering the value of church as family. Every week, I get to see this miracle happen in my congregation. Children find new grandparents in the senior adults of our church. Solitary individuals find friends who become brothers and sisters – family. One of the great mundane miracles of the faith is Jesus will restore to His children the family they need.

Another reason Jesus used the image of family is every family has chores. If you’re a guest, you don’t have to do chores. No one will ask you to help clear the table or wash dishes. No one will expect a guest to wash the linen they used or the towels they got all wet. No, if you’re a guest, you don’t do chores.

But if you’re a member of the family, you’re going to have to pull your weight. Now, your particular chores may vary – some are inside and some are outside – but everyone will have at least one. The rest of the family will count on you to do your chores, and if they don’t get done, the whole family suffers. In fact, it’s an insult as a member of the family not to have to do any chores. It either means: a. you’re not family; b. you can’t be trusted; or c. you’re incapable of doing anything the family needs to have done.

This is the other reason I think Jesus chose the image of family to talk about life in the church. Families have chores. The church has chores. If you’re a member of the family, then as a member of the church, you’re going to have chores to do. Why? Because the church family needs these things done.

In today’s churches, we talk a lot about spiritual gifts. We believe every person in Christ has been given certain abilities, talents, and resources necessary for the church to achieve the kingdom mission. The problem with our emphasis on spiritual gifts is that people, once they understand their spiritual gifts and its application, assume they can ONLY work in areas where their spiritual gifts apply.

So, if someone is needed in the nursery, people assume because they don’t have the gift of teaching or the passion for pre-school, then they don’t need to help.

Sorry, but no one has the spiritual gift for chores. If you’re a member of the family and you see something that needs to be done, you do it. Sure, it would be nice if that was your spiritual gift, but it’s not necessary.

Most of us are familiar with the story of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet in John 13. The story is usually told to emphasize the humility of Jesus, and following, the needed humility of all of the leaders in the church. True, but there’s also the humble reality of knowing that washing the dirty feet of the disciples would be necessary for the disciples to relax and focus on their meal together.

Washing the disciples’ feet was the next thing that needed to be done. So, Jesus did it. When the disciples saw Jesus taking on the role of the servant, they learned a lesson that would later come to define leadership in the church. Leaders do what needs to be done, regardless of their rank.

Every church I know complains of needing volunteers. Don’t let your church be one of those. If you see something that needs to be done, you don’t have to form a committee, just get it done. Pick up the discarded bulletins, rock a child in the nursery, take a meal to one of your shut-ins.

Yeah, I know it’s not fun. It’s not sexy…it’s a chore, and every family has them.

And if you’re a member of the family, you’ve got them, too.