Bible Reading: Romans 3:10-26

"Peyton! Avery!" Dad called up the stairs. "Dinner is ready! Please pick up your toys and then come eat."

Peyton quickly put her dolls in a basket, then put the basket high on the shelf and ran downstairs. Avery, who was five years younger, couldn't quite reach the shelf to put her dolls away or lift the heavy lid to the toy chest. She eventually gave up and went to eat.

The next morning at breakfast, Avery began singing "Jesus Loves Me." Usually Peyton loved listening to Avery sing and would clap along, but today she just quietly listened.

"What's on your mind, kiddo?" Dad asked.

Peyton frowned. "Well, I know that Jesus died on the cross to take away sins, but I guess I don't really understand how that shows He loves me."

Dad thought for a moment. "Yesterday I asked you and Avery to clean the playroom, remember?"

Peyton shrugged. "Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Well," Dad replied, "Avery can't put her toys away herself, so I want you to pick them up for her."

"But that's not fair!" said Peyton. "She's the one who made the mess!"

"You're right, she is the one who made the mess, but no matter how hard she tries, it's impossible for her to clean it up. She needs help." Dad paused. "Jesus shows us His love in the same way."

Peyton furrowed her eyebrows. "By picking up our mess?"

Dad nodded. "We're the ones with a huge mess of sin in our lives. Do you think it's fair for Jesus to clean it up? Jesus didn't sin. He didn't make our mess, but He also knew we could never get rid of it ourselves. So, because He loves us, He died and rose again to do what we couldn't--to take our sins away."

"So you're saying I can show Avery I love her by picking up her toys because she can't do it herself--just like Jesus shows me He loves me by taking away my sin because I can't do it myself?"

Dad smiled. "You got it."

As Avery continued to sing, Peyton smiled and began to clap along.

–Bethany Den Boer