Daily Devotionals

Whatever You Do

Posted in Spiritual Growth

Scripture:  “Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”  (1 Corinthians 10:31)  “In word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (Colossians 3:17)  “Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’” – John 21:12.

 

My best childhood and college friend, after obtaining a degree from Abilene Christian College, decided to go into the ministry starting out at a small church in Brooklyn, NY.  Over the years, we lost track of each other, but recently I learned, through a mutual friend, that he had decided that the ministry was not his calling and that he was now the happy and successful owner and manager of a home cleaning service.

 

To be honest, but to my shame, I was initially stunned at the apparent (to me) anomaly of his move from the “high” calling of ministry to one of supervising a crew of floor-moppers!  But then I recalled something C.S. Lewis had said:  “The work of a Beethoven, and the work of a charwoman, become spiritual on precisely the same condition, that of being offered humbly, ‘as to the Lord.’”  Likewise, I was reminded of the words of a great old hymn: “If you cannot preach like Peter, if you cannot pray like Paul, you can tell the love of Jesus, and say ‘He died for all.’”*

 

Even beyond that, in Lewis’ view, no meaningful distinction exists between the sacred and the secular, between what we do on Sunday and what we do the rest of the week.   No work is so menial or apparently unrelated to religion, no act so insignificant, no contribution so small that it cannot be for the glory of God – whether it is scrubbing floors, offering a kind word of praise, encouraging the downcast, cheering someone with a smile, bringing an enfeebled neighbor her morning paper, or – dare I say? – even cooking someone breakfast!    

 

In sum, whatever it is that we are doing, directly church-related or not, great or small, if in doing it we relate to those around us with the fruit of the Spirit – joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control – then our actions will truly be pleasing in God’s sight.  And, knowing my friend as I do, I am absolutely sure this is how he operates his business.

 

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, help us to remember that our true Christian Vocation is to live life, in all its dimensions and aspects, in a way that it brings honor and glory to your name.  Through Jesus we pray, Amen.

 

Submitted by: Tom Haggard

*Dawson, William L., “There is a Balm in Giliad,” 1899.