My Dishwasher.

The other day I was unloading my dishwasher and got to thinking to myself, “you know, this dishwasher has only one job to do. Wash dishes.” 

(If you think it’s strange that I talk to myself… well, its not. Sometimes its the only intelligent conversation I have all day! But I digress…)

My dishwasher has only one purpose, as I said, and that is to wash my dishes. It is not supposed to bake me a cake; nor is my dishwasher supposed to vacuum out my car.  Its sole purpose is to wash dishes. 

this got me thinking.. obviously, or you wouldn’t be reading this post…. but it got me thinking about our job as Christ followers… what is our job exactly?

Well, let me give you a few Scriptures and see if you can pick up what I’m trying to lay down….

first of all Ephesians 5:1-2: “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.” (NLT2, emphasis added)

How about this one, from Paul’s letter to the Church in Rome: 

“For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” (NLT2, emphasis added)

One more: “But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. 6 Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.” ( 1 John 2:5-6, NLT2. Emphasis added)

The main theme from each of these verses is the same: Those who claim to follow Jesus, should act/think/be like Jesus. Not your favourite actor, not your favourite political party. Jesus. 

How often we get this wrong. At least I do. I think that I was made for something else; made to do something else… but I need to remember that just as my dishwasher was made with one purpose in mind: to wash dishes, I was created anew in Christ Jesus to represent Jesus to a world that desperately needs to know Jesus. 

My sole purpose on this earth is to Know Christ and to Make Him known. 

Sure, it’s ok for me to love my family and get a spare part or three along the way, but the reason I am here is to know Jesus Christ and to show/share Jesus Christ with the folks in my world.

I don’t want to sound like a downer here.. but I’m just afraid we miss the mark so often. We think we have to have an opinion on everything; when in reality we are here to learn from and follow Jesus, to listen to and for His voice— (read John 10) to Love God and Love people. 

So where am I going with this? 

I’m not sure really… other than to serve as a simply friendly little reminder that it’s our job to serve Jesus. To Listen to Jesus. To represent Jesus. 

Now, I understand, probably better than anyone that we miss the mark more than we hit the target. And that’s where— thankfully God’s grace kicks in… so today, say a little prayer and ask God to help you serve and represent him.. you never know who might be watching.