The Household

In exasperation I place my hand on my hip, ready to allow the venom of my words to flow as my eyes meet the countertop of dirty dishes that were not there when I went to sleep just five hours before.  I take a deep breath in and slowly exhale releasing my frustration.

The night before I was exhausted after a long day at work, but I came home after stopping to exercise at the gym and prepared dinner for my family.  After dinner, I thought that I would have some help with cleaning up and the dishes, but the other adults in the household went on about their own activities.  Going out with friends and watching television while playing on the computer are more entertaining than cleaning.  Even at that point, I tried not to allow irritation to show.  After all, I have food to eat, a roof over my head, a spouse, and children.  God has blessed me.

Still that next morning, in the silence of my house those feelings arose.  I hadn’t run the dishwasher; they could have placed their snack dishes in the dishwasher.  Thier schedule is different than mine but why can’t they do thier part in our household?  There have been times I want to hand my children a bill for having to be thier maid as things are left undone and leave.

I walked away from the mess and sat down in the recliner opening up the Bible next to me. The last of the scriptures that I am studying on Who I am in Christ.  “Now you are no longer strangers to God and foreigners to heaven, but you are members of God’s very own family, citizens of God’s country and you belong to God’s household with ever other believer.” Ephesians 2:19  (The Living Scriptures).

I am more than just a member of God’s family.  At times though I allow myself to feel more like a distant relative than His daughter.  God offers me belonging as part of His family.

I am more than a citizen of His country.  I owe my allegiance to His Kingdom.  I am entitled as a citizen to His protection.

I am part of His household.  He took me back to my frustration in my own household.  Being part of a household means that we have a part to do.  There are things that He has called me to do as part of His household.  Just like in my own household, when I don’t do my part, someone else has to cover it.

Reasearch shows that many pastors leave ministry because they can not meet the demands of the congregation.  Yet the scriptures say that preachers are part of the five-fold ministry to equip the church to do the work of the kingdom.  The church is God’s household.  As a follower of Christ, we are all part of the same household of God.  We each have a part to play.  We each have to do our part or it gets dumped on someone else.  There are times that others might not mind, but eventually it does take its toll.  Every member of God’s church has a part to play in fulfilling the work of the Kingdom.

We are called to use our skills, abilities and talents for God.  I have heard it said that 20% of the people in the church do 80% of the work.  What if 100% of the church did the few things that God has called them to do and did it faithfully?  How would our communities change?  What if we realized that the small part we play, the things we see as insignificant are the big things in God’s kingdom?  What things has God called you to do that you have not done?  It is never to late to start doing what God has placed before you.  Step up and do your part in God’s household, even if it seems like a small thing!