A Recurring Theme

My mom raised me well, always telling me, "in everything you do, do it as unto the Lord". That was something that has been in all my thoughts since I was a child. Whether it is work or school, or missions or whatever...in the back of my mind I can hear my mom saying that to me.

Well I guess the Lord wanted to be sure this was something that was not only in the back of my mind but grounded in my heart. During the past 2 weeks or so, this theme has been shown to me over and over again, in different ways, in different verses and in different devotionals. I love it when the Lord does this, when in my everyday devotion time with Him, He shows me something. It's not at all that I went out looking to find similarities, but that He brought them to me.

It all began with a Bible Study I was watching by Louie Giglio, called "The Signature of Significance". (If you missed the link to it that I posted you can watch the study here) The main verse for that study was:

"And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."
-Colossians 3:17

In the study Louie talked about living a life of significance. A life that makes a difference, that stands out....and living your life, no matter what your passion is, no matter what your job is, in a way that glorifies God, and doing all that you do in the name of Jesus and with thanks.

Wow, what a great study that was I thought. Then the next day I open up My Utmost for His Highest daily devotional that I read, and the verse for that day is:

"whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
-1 Corinthians 10:31b

In the devotional Chambers talks about living your life in a way that you are almost not the one noticed. In other words, living your life in a way that when people look at you, they glorify Jesus shining through you. And to live your life as a Christian shining is not something you do only in the "big" things, like missions or preaching or the areas everyone sees. But living your life as a shining light in the little things, in the everyday interactions, at work or at home. Chambers said,

"If you are properly devoted to the Lord Jesus, you have reached the lofty height where no one would ever notice you personally. All that is noticed is the power of God coming through you all the time...The true test of a saint’s life is not successfulness but faithfulness on the human level of life. We tend to set up success in Christian work as our purpose, but our purpose should be to display the glory of God in human life, to live a life 'hidden with Christ in God' in our everyday human conditions (Colossians 3:3). Our human relationships are the very conditions in which the ideal life of God should be exhibited."

Wow, so that is pretty much what Louie said the day before. To live our lives to glorify God, to do all things unto the Lord. To live life at work or at home in a manner that is worthy of Jesus, and turns the mundane life into a life of significance just by how we are living it. At this moment I thought, 'cool, lesson learned'. But I guess the Lord was not finished with me. A week later in my devotional, guess what verse re-appeared?

"Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
-1 Corinthians 10:31

In this devo Chambers was warning us to not think that the little things in life, the "shallow" things as he referred to them, were not ordained by God. As though God was not concerned with the little things.

"Beware of allowing yourself to think that the shallow aspects of life are not ordained by God; they are ordained by Him equally as much as the profound."

In that moment, with what was going on in my personal life, this was a comfort to me in a couple of ways. It was applicable to the fact that the Lord does care about the little areas of my life, the things that are going on around me that I have no control of, the areas of the heart that I don't show to anyone, thoughts, fears, frustrations...all those things He sees and knows and can and does work in them and through them. But it goes beyond the fact that He knows about those areas, it goes from Him to me, and tells me that through Him, those areas in my life that are small and may not seem important in the big scheme of life, are important, and can be lived out in a way that glorifies God. My thoughts and fears and frustrations, can be taken and put against the Word and "held captive" so that even in those things no one on the outside may see, the Spirit sees, and I would want Him to be glorified in me even in those areas. To live a life of excellence that glorifies God on the journey we are on.

Then I listened to another study by Louie Giglio (click here to watch). It was called "Fully Alive". And again the theme was there, living our lives right now, today, everyday, in a manner that is significant and that brings glory to God. To live each and every day, in the little things and the big things in a way that is a light to those around us, that they ultimately see us and glorify Him. To not waste our time here on earth.

This morning I received an email devotion from Charles Spurgeon and the verse for the devotional was:

"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might."
-Ecclesiastes 9:10

AGAIN Lord? I thought to myself. I almost feel like I must be missing something in my life. But I am loving that again He has brought this to me. I also love the way that Spurgeon ended his devo by saying:

"But where is the might of a Christian? It is not in himself, for he is perfect weakness. His might lieth in the Lord of Hosts. Then let us seek his help; let us proceed with prayer and faith, and when we have done what our 'hand findeth to do,' let us wait upon the Lord for his blessing. What we do thus will be well done, and will not fail in its effect."

Cause it isn't just about me doing everything as unto the Lord, and I think that sometimes in our strength we do that. We think that WE must do all these things to glorify God. As though we are alone in being a light to the world. But we are never alone, and the Lord would never call us to do anything, however big or small in our own power. We are representing Him in all areas of our lives. The only way to be a good representative of who He is, is by allowing His Spirit to work in us and through us and to give us the strength we need to live and do all things for Him.

Finally, I have had these verses going through my mind the past few days,

"Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind."
-Philippians 3:12-16

Chambers the other day said,

"Beware of 'the cares of this world . . .' (Mark 4:19). They are the very things that produce the wrong attitudes in our soul. It is incredible what enormous power there is in simple things to distract our attention away from God. Refuse to be swamped by 'the cares of this world.'"

Maybe you don't see the connection between these last verses and quote. But I totally do. In order to live our lives in a way that in everything both great and small we are being a light and acting in a manner that glorifies God, we have to get rid of those things that hinder us.

How true it is that the 'cares of this world' as small as they are in the scope of eternity, can be the things that cause our light to not shine, that cause us to complain instead of give thanks, that cause us to doubt instead of having faith in Him. Some of those things are distractions and are not necessary and should be gotten rid of. Some of those things may distract us, but are distractions because we have put them above the Lord's right place in our life and we need to do some adjusting. Whatever it is in our life, it needs to find it's place behind our Savior, it needs to be put in it's correct order in our life. And whether it is our outward actions in the big and small things of life, or our inward thoughts that only Christ knows, we need to do all these things to the glory of our Lord, by the power of His Spirit, and to lay aside those things that will hold us back so that we may press on toward the prize of the upward call of God in Jesus Christ.

grace and peace on your hearts,
r