Mopping Man

Mopping ManDr. Vince Hefner, PastorFirst Baptist ChurchCherryville, North CarolinaMy dear wife brought something to my attention that I did all the time before we were married but something I had almost stopped completely since we have been married. (I have discovered that wives are good for bringing up that sort of thing.) What was this gift that I no longer displayed, you ask? It is mopping!When I was in college, and Sherry would visit at my home, I would mop the kitchen floor for my Mom. I don’t mean I rushed over the floor with a wet mop and then called it quits; I took my time and used my talents of a strong back and a desire to do a good job to put a sparkle on a floor that would make “Mr. Clean” proud.I learned how to mop when I washed dishes at the Hilton Hotel in Asheville, North Carolina. Before we could leave for the night, the kitchen floor had to be cleaned to the chef’s approval, and since I wanted to leave as quickly as I could, I would move that mop quicker and harder than Hazel or Alice from the old television days. It seemed that the mop and I became one, and working together we could clean any floor, regardless of the dirt and grim. You could say that I knew my way around the kitchen, even if it meant being bent over a mop.I always took pride in my work, and any job that pays you deserves your best, even it is washing dishes or mopping. My wife admired my work ethic while we dated, but I guess my gusto for mopping fell off a bit when my other responsibilities as a husband and father moved to center stage. I have noticed that my wife announces the fact that she is about to mop the kitchen floor, and looks at me as though she is waiting for me to respond. Oh, I do respond, I generally smile back at her and nod to her as if I agree with her that the kitchen floor needs mopping. I don’t think that is the response she wants, but she never really says anything when I fail to respond properly. I have a wonderful wife!However, here lately, she has become more vocal about my lost talent of mopping, and tells me how good I am at mopping. It is amazing what a few kind words can do to motivate a man to do something he had rather not do. The more I give it some thought, the more I realize her request is very reasonable. The more I mop, the more I get back into my old form. I pretend I am back at the Hilton trying to please my old boss, and with the completion of the job comes the reward, that I am finished with a day’s work and the blessing of a floor mopped to perfection. I believe I can hand this talent down to my sons, and maybe they can use this gift to impress a young lady with a willingness to help around the house.Colossians 3:23-25 says, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men; knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he had done, and that without partiality.” This Scripture reminds us that no job is too menial to honor God. Whether we mop floors or find the cure to a major disease, we should do our jobs for the glory of God, and not of men. We should also remind ourselves that helping others with responsibilities around the house can build good will for future considerations, such as getting to watch something on television that nobody else wants to watch. The Bible also tells us that we will be held accountable to God when we do wrong, and doing nothing to help someone else is wrong! To those who mop floors, I salute you, and remember, don’t give in to sin. Think about it!