“Mom, picking up is not my style,” my five year old explained, when I asked her why the puzzle pieces were still scattered all over the kitchen floor.
This little girl has pulled out some very creative excuses to avoid work she doesn’t want to do. Not long ago, when I pointed out that we were tripping over the huge pile of dress-up clothes at the bottom of the stairs, she told me: “Well, I can’t pick that up. We need to play with that tomorrow. I’m just being prepared.”
Being the clever mom that I am, I’ve tried different tactics. Once while she was playing “Super Alita 2.0” I called to her excitedly, “Super Alita! Super Alita! We need your help!! There’s a huge mess in the living room!!”
She gave me a look that communicated clearly who was in control. “Sorry, I only have the stuff in my utility sock to use. I don’t have any cleaning skills.”
To be honest, ninety percent of the time she’s a fantastic helper. She puts coats and shoes on her two younger sisters so we can get out the door more quickly. She has taught her baby sister how to carry in groceries.
And I’ll never forget the blustery day last fall when she and I finished staining the play set as a surprise for my husband, who was working long hours at the time. She was elated that I had given her really important, really grown-up work to do.
She does relish being Mommy’s helper. Most of the time.
I’m a lot like her. Most of the time, I’m eager to be God’s helper. Yet in the daily routines of motherhood, many tasks don’t seem at all “my style.” Many necessary projects appear to require skills that I lack. Too often, I just don’t want to do what I know I need to do.
I keep forgetting how I got to be God’s helper, and why.
Becoming His helper didn’t depend on me. Jesus paid a high price in order that I might be useful to God.
Jesus came into this world as a human being with the intent to put things right between God and me. Throughout his life, Jesus kept God’s laws perfectly in my place. On the first Good Friday, he died to pay for all the times I made excuses instead of doing what I knew I should. On the first Easter Sunday, he came back to life. Through faith in Him, I have new life, too.
This new life means that I am remade, a new creation in Christ. God has molded me into His own helper. He has put me together for purposes that He reveals one step at a time. He controls my circumstances, placing in my path the people to help, and the occasions to be helpful.
Yes, he absolutely intended for these particular little girls to be my daughters. Yes, he absolutely ensures that I have the skills needed to be their mom.
Why did he make me His helper? He really doesn’t need my help, when it comes right down to it. But He wants it because He loves me. He loved me enough to bring me into a relationship with Him, to remake me into something useful for Him, and to give me real, significant, meaningful, and important work to do.
He’s done the same for you, no matter your stage of life or your particular circumstances. All circumstances, responsibilities and opportunities come from God. All tasks that He leads us to do in faith are meaningful, important, and a true privilege.
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance so that we would walk in them (Ephesians 2:10).
