Years ago my husband said things to the children that have since come back to haunt him, things like, “your mother shouldn’t have to carry in the groceries,” or “your mother shouldn’t have to take out the trash.” Well, the mother of his children often reminds him that I still should not have to carry in the groceries or take out the trash. With the children raised and gone, however, that only leaves him to take his own advice.
Another thing that has come back to haunt him is that he insisted that the job was “not done until you put a new garbage bag in the can.” Sometimes, when he remembers to do that now, he’ll give me a big grin and remind me that he put a new bag in the can “for me.”
Unfortunately, I don’t quite see it that way. That is not doing something special “for me,” that is simply doing what is expected. Take out the old bag, put in the new; it’s part of the job, simply, nothing more.
One of my favorite teachings of Jesus is found Luke 17:7-10, “When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, ‘Come in and eat with me’? No, he says, ‘Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.’ 9 And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. In the same way, when you obey me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.’” [NLT]
Simply doing what is expected. Some things are just part of the job we are to be doing, they don’t demand that we be singled out as great heroes, or that we receive special awards or commendations. We are just doing our duty as servants of our Most High God.
I thought about my husband and his expectation for praise because he had put in a clean trash bag, part of that job’s requirements. And then I thought of myself, too often standing before God expecting praise, rewards, or notice for doing what was simply mine to do!
