As I sat down in the chair, I balanced two children on my lap, each toddler fighting to have me to themselves. Soon enough, a much needed distraction came—cupcakes. The chocolate cupcakes were in celebration of Jesus’ birthday; a birthday party for the toddlers, in order to help them understand the birth of Jesus. One of the girls on my lap was especially delighted about her cupcake, squishing the soft cake between her fingers, stuffing it in her mouth with delight. I smiled as chocolate crumbs fell on the floor, knowing the floor would definitely have to be cleaned. I couldn’t help but laugh when I looked at her face and realized that she was wearing more of this dessert than she was eating. Her mouth was smudged with icing, with even a few dabs of chocolate on her nose. Her short golden hair had some crumbs hiding in it. But beneath all of that mess, her smile was huge. She was having a blast, and she definitely wasn’t afraid to get dirty! As I wiped the mess off her mouth, I couldn’t help but wonder at how she wasn’t afraid to get messy. She knew she would be taken care of. She didn’t worry about getting messy, but instead she delighted in it.
Sometimes, God calls us to get messy for His sake. Maybe it doesn’t look quite the same—it probably won’t involve wearing chocolate cake on your face—but it often involves tasks that aren’t so pleasant. An example of this that Jesus gave us? One that instantly comes to my mind is Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. A nice, relaxing, clean job… or maybe the complete opposite. Jesus humbled Himself to take on a lowly job—scrubbing the dirt off feet. It isn’t exactly a job most people scramble to do, but Jesus willingly did it, leaving a beautiful example for us. After washing their feet, Jesus says, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” (John 13:14-15). Washing their feet is one of the best examples of being willing to humble yourself and get messy for God’s glory, but it doesn’t always come in the form of feet washing. Whether it’s changing a dirty diaper, sweeping the floor, or taking the time to serve the needy, it can be done for His glory.
The real question is—are you willing to get messy for His sake? As He showed us through His example, following Jesus is often messy. Much like the little girl, however, even through the messy moments, He’ll take care of you. He’ll be right there beside you, as you go through messy moments for His sake.
Kayla Joy
