The Message paraphrases David’s words: ‘I’d rather scrub floors in the house of my God than be honoured as a guest in the palace of sin’ (Psalm 84:10 MSG). Along those lines Joni Eareckson Tada wrote: ‘Elsie runs a Christian home for young girls who’ve left lives of prostitution and drug dealing on the streets of Hollywood. She walks the streets, shares the gospel, and leads these girls to Christ. If these new converts truly desire to change their lives and commit to new responsibilities, they’ve a place in Elsie’s home. Pam is one such convert…A Christian with a sweet spirit, she bears scars from knife fights and heroin needles…I sensed her joy and deep appreciation when she explained her role…“I scrub the toilets and bathrooms…That’s my job and I love it!” This young woman was so grateful to have structure in her life, safety in her surroundings, and an honest-to-goodness job of service in Christ’s kingdom…that a day of ministry in Elsie’s home was far better than a thousand days lived in the sordid pursuit of self-destructive pleasures…Her humble spirit towards her job…her delight in cleaning toilets sprang from a keen awareness of her role in the body of Christ. Few believers have a background like Pam’s, but every day each of us rolls our sleeves up to accomplish menial, basic tasks – changing oil [in the car], changing ink cartridges in printers, or changing [nappies].’ There are so many everyday tasks that we find boring, but when we ‘serve the Lord with gladness’ (Psalm 100:2 KJV), we’ll be able to find joy in them because we remember who we’re working for.

What Now?

Do you have any housework or cleaning to do today? Put on your favourite worship playlist and try turning the work into a praise session!