Eat your dinner.

When I was a child my grandfather, who was always so full of intoxicated wisdom, would repeat a phrase to me each time I would try to throw away the food from my plate that I couldn't eat.  When I had eaten all of the rice or scrambled eggs that I could stand, and I stood at the trash can ready to dump it and clear the plate, he would say these threatening words:

"You better eat all of that food because there are starving kids in China who don't have any."

Now, I doubt the starving kids in China would have suffered if I had thrown away my Spanish rice, and I never really listened to my grandfather, or heeded his warning, but today those words are beginning to resonate within me again.  Only this time, I am not feeling an urgency to eat all of my dinner.  No, this time, the urgency lies within the realm of the church, and my role in it.

I go to a small church.  There aren't a whole lot of people in my church, and most of the members are over the age of fifty, retired, and ready to rest.  As a minister in my church (and a deacon) I have many responsibilities and most of the time the lack of available people adds to the workload.  I work with the elementary kids on Wednesday nights.  I teach a young adults class on Sunday mornings.  I sing in the choir.  I preach whenever I am needed.  I love doing those things, I really do.  It is what I went to college for.  It is what I want to spend the rest of my life doing.  But sometimes, when I look at the church calendar and realize that there are a hundred activities planned, or when I don't get home until almost 9 p.m. on Wednesday, or when I am scheduled to preach and teach and run the kid's group and go on visitation and minister at the nursing home all in the same week, in those times instead of loving what I do and rejoicing in the opportunities, another emotion takes over.  In those times, the words that cross my mind aren't what I like to hear, or say.

"I don't want to do this anymore."

"I am tired of ministry."

"Why am I killing myself for this church?"

I get that way sometimes.  Tired.  Worn out.  Fed up. Ready to quit and do something different.  Sick of no one wanting to help or no one paying attention or no one growing or benefiting in any way.

It's sad, really, especially when I consider this fact:  There are Christians in India, or China, or Columbia, who would be absolutely thrilled to have all of the opportunities that I have in my church.  They would love to be able to have a building to meet in, or a class to sit in, or a fellowship to take part in.

Instead, they are forced to worship God with other believers in secret.  They hide in apartment rooms, or basements, or abandoned buildings because if anyone finds them, sees them, hears them, it's all over.  Today, in any of those countries, and in all of the others where it is illegal or unfavorable to be a Christian, there are believers being arrested, beaten, thrown into prison, robbed, executed - just because they have given their lives to Christ.

And I complain about having to go to church all the time.  I whine about all of the activities planned in one month.  I throw a fit if I don't get home early enough to have dinner and watch TV on Wednesday night.  I really should be ashamed of myself.

But I won't be.  Because I don't believe God wants me to live in shame.  I do think, however, that he wants me to respond in a different way.  He wants me to change my attitude.  He wants me to embrace the opportunities He has given me.  And He wants me to stop complaining.

So that is exactly what I will do.  Next time I am tempted to get upset about how often I have to be at my church building, or about how hard I have to work in my ministry, I will consider all of those believers who would look me in the eyes and say, "I would love to be able to do what you do."  And I won't complain.  I will rejoice.  And I will serve my church with gladness, embracing the opportunity that God has given me.

I will eat all of my food, because there are starving kids in China who don't have any.

And I will go to church, because there are Christians in Pakistan who can't.

How about you?  Do you ever complain about having to go to church?  Let's talk about it.