Dedicating Our Daily Work to God
Step into a simple, life-changing rhythm -- morning, noon, and night -- and discover how every task you touch can become a sacred offering to the Lord.
“. . . with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men” (Ephesians 6:7).
Too often in our lives, Christ becomes “compartmentalized.” He occupies the “religious” part, but in the “secular” part, we hardly even think about Him — and these days, the secular part has a voracious appetite. With every passing day, it eats up an ever greater percentage of our time, attention, and affection.
While there is no easy answer to this dilemma, we can at least confess the problem posed by our overcrowded lifestyles and always be on the lookout for attitudes, practices, and disciplines that can help us be more devoted to Christ. In this essay, I want to recommend a habit that has helped me personally: simply seeing my daily work — even the mundane parts of it — as a gift to be given to God.
MORNING. The beginning of each new day is a reminder of God’s goodness. How energizing it is to thank Him for His protection during the night and ask Him to help me with the day ahead. Morning is the best time to dedicate to His glory my upcoming endeavors.
NOON. For me, midday is a time to pause and say, “Okay, Gary, how has it gone so far?” And then I pledge the remainder of the day to Christ, seeking His guidance in whatever is yet to be done.
NIGHT. At day’s end, it is time to reflect on what has been done and thank God for His grace. During this “debriefing,” I seek His forgiveness for the ways I’ve stumbled or strayed from His will during the day. Honest prayer lays the foundation for a better tomorrow.
These ideas have a special application to me as a religious writer. The desk at which I write is a place where the work that takes place clearly belongs to the Lord. I should always write “as to the Lord.” But in truth, everything else I do today should be offered to Him. Anything I can’t reverently and gratefully dedicate to Him, I shouldn’t do. “Whatever you are doing, let your hearts be in your work, as a thing done for the Lord and not for men” (Colossians 3:23 Weymouth).
To that end, I leave with you some treasured words written in 1932 by Florence M. Carson when she acquired a new writing desk. Even if you’re not a writer and you don’t work at a desk, her attitude is one you’d do well to adopt. All of our daily work is God’s work!
“To the service and work of Christ do I consecrate this desk, earnestly praying that everything written and prepared thereon may be done with the singleness of mind to His honour and glory” (Florence M. Carson).
Gary Henry - WordPoints.com