Menial Tasks from Jason Liang

A few weeks ago, while sheltered-in-place at home, I found myself sitting in the living room floor with my little daughter, Lexi, making girly charm bracelets together. She had pleaded with me to help her. As I sat there picking out pendants and trying to put one little metal ring into another, I thought to myself “man, what a waste of my time.” I could be watching my shows on Netflix, playing video games on my Xbox, checking out Facebook, or even writing emails and talking to clients at work.” It was taking time away from the things I want to do. “What’s the point of these bracelets anyway?” I asked myself. “She’s probably going to misplace it or break it in less than a day. And it is such a boring, menial job that I could probably just get my older daughter to help her with it. I don’t need to do this. It is so beneath me.” As I sat there impatient and disgruntled, the Lord reminded me of something. Jesus did not shy away from tasks that were beneath Him. From washing the feet of His disciples to taking care of little children, Jesus showed us that there is no job that we are too big for. Can you imagine the Lord of the universe kneeling before His disciples washing and cleaning their dirty, smelly feet? If you haven’t heard of this, read John 13, verses 4-17.

In addition, the Lord reminded me of the things my parents had done for me despite their reluctance at the time. When I was a preschooler, I bugged my dad every evening to play chess with me. Despite being tired and uninterested because I was not a very good player, he still played with me. I took forever making my moves and often made bad decisions so it was not much fun for him and definitely tested his patience. My mom also spent time with me by teaching me how to cook while she was in the kitchen. Because I was not very helpful and often got in the way, I could tell she didn’t really want to do it. If I had to cut some meat, she would sometimes have to recut it because I cut the pieces too big. Or if I had to wash some vegetables, she would have to rewash it because there would still be sand. I can still hear her sighing in my head “Argh…”. She probably thought it was a waste of her time. But these activities with my parents paid dividends. Eventually, I became the captain of my high-school chess team. And the skills I learned in my mom’s kitchen, I still use today to cook for my family. But what’s more important is that these things that I did with my parents became lasting memories. The experiences never left me. The relationship and bond that formed is something I still cherish today. Had my dad not played chess with me but instead, went to watch TV, not only might I not have followed my passion for chess, but I might not have this connection with him. For many years afterwards, I still talked to him about chess moves and strategies. And had my mom not spent time with me in the kitchen, not only might I be useless in the kitchen today, but I might have also missed out on the relationship we built together through that experience. Even today, I call my mom to ask for recipes and exchange cooking tips.

So as I was sitting there making charm bracelets with my daughter, I realized what an important moment that was for me, and for my daughter. After we finished the bracelet, my daughter wore it proudly showing it off to everyone and telling them “Daddy made it with me.” When I heard that and saw her face beaming with joy, it melted my heart. I think the Lord was showing me what I could have missed out on had I chosen to go watch TV or do something else. The question I was asking about what else could I be doing instead of making a charm bracelet with my daughter, I should be asking when I’m watching TV, playing games, or checking my phone: “What could I be doing with my daughter instead of doing this?” What am I missing out on?

There are 2 challenges I have for you today. The first is to look deep inside yourself to see if there are chores or work that you won’t do or don’t want to do because you think they are beneath you. Maybe it is scrubbing the toilets, helping your child with an art project, or helping out in the nursery, and realize that the Lord stooped much lower to serve others. What kind of servants would tell their master, I’m willing to this, but not that, or that, or that. And once you have that list, look around at who could use your help in doing those things. Turn off your phone, close the laptop, and try joining them. Maybe join your spouse in washing dishes, help your kids with their hobby, or share your testimonies in podcasts. You may be amazed by the experiences and relationships that come out from them. Make lasting memories. Don’t let all the technological distractions of today take them away from you. Let’s pray:

Lord, I pray for whoever is listening. I pray that you will reveal to them things in their lives that they have been reluctant to do because pride gets in the way. Help us to look to you as an example. Change our hearts so that we serve You and others first. Lead us to opportunities, even menial tasks, that will allow us to show our love to others, and thereby, build lasting relationships and memories. We pray all of these things in the name of your Son, Jesus. Amen.