Everything you do

I struggle with feelings of insignificance.  What do I do that is important or worthwhile?  Because I like to try and be both therapist and patient, I ask myself what is something that is purposeful.   I think maybe a job would be helpful.  Or maybe volunteering would help fill this seeming void.  Then I realize nothing I of which I think would make me feel purposeful.  While I would be busier, I certainly wouldn't feel any more significant simply because I was filing, maintaining databases, or directing calls.

Recently, I decided to volunteer at the Creation Museum for a day.  I was all excited!  My parents have volunteered there in the past, so I was anticipating maybe a day's work in the gardens, or perhaps being in the office and helping send out mailings to donors.  I anticipated something bright, pretty, and maybe a little fun.  Instead, I was assigned to work in the hot, lonely, windowless cash room where I sat, locked in, and rolled coins for 6 hours.  Thankfully they have a machine that counts out the coins, and all I had to do was dump the appropriate coins in and then make sure the funnel and wrapper were all lined up properly.  "Monotonous" best described that job.  As I sat listening to the endless rattle of change, I became determined to amuse myself.  I decided to sing inside my head since at least four cameras were trained on me, and I didn't want to pain security too much.  I ran through several different hymns and quickly turned to popular Christian music.  Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on your view of things, I starting mentally playing Steven Curtis Chapman's song "Do Everything."  I repeated an endless loop of a portion of the chorus "it all matters just as long as you do everything you do to the glory of the one who made you, 'cause He made you to do everything you do the glory of the one..." for the next 4 hours.  I wish I at least remembered the rest of the song so I didn't have to repeat the same few words over and over again.  It helped, though.  I wasn't discouraged.  I knew that what I was doing was important simply because I was doing it to the best of my ability.  I still felt rather sad at the end of the day because I didn't feel like I'd accomplished anything as people were dropping off that day's worth of coins from their cash boxes.  It is a never ending job!  I am happy I was able to relieve the full-time lady from having to do that for a day, though, so she could focus on her other duties.

In daily life, I have found this song and, more importantly, the Scripture verses, to be helpful.  There's not much glory to folding laundry.  There's even less in cleaning the bathroom.  Practically, yes, these things are wonderful, but when people ask, "So, what did you do today?" and the answer is, "Well...I finally found and removed the source of that nasty mystery smell in the refrigerator..." you don't feel like the most exciting or relevant person.  But, the point is, we all are appointed for or do different tasks.  They might seem inglorious from our perspectives, but everything we do brings glory to God.  Essentially the stuff we do here on earth is done for Him.  We are all caretakers in some way or another, and our work glorifies Him.

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31


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

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.  It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Colossians 3:23-24

Distraction

There once was a time I thought going to Sunday School and church Sunday mornings was all the training, growing, and informing I needed as a Christian.  Then about eight years or so ago I realized that, no, I should have a personal, private relationship with Christ, after all, He is my personal savior and friend.  Since then I have attempted to establish a structured, nearly daily Bible/prayer time.  My more successful spurts have ranged anywhere from a few weeks to a few months.  However, I find myself fading away from these times of study, contemplation, and simply resting in the Lord's presence until weeks (or months) have passed since I have opened my Bible for any reason other than Sunday morning Bible class or had anything much of a prayer life.  When I realize this, I am then overwhelmed with a hunger and urge to immerse myself in Scripture.  I set out with the best intentions.  I sit down with my huge NKJV Thompson Chain-Reference Study Bible, take a deep breath, look down at the cover of the tome in my lap, and am stumped.  Now what?  There are a lot of things I want to know, but where do I start?  What is right for today?  Should I read in the Old Testament or New?  A reading from the Gospels?  Or should I read something historical?  Or from a book by one of the prophets?  Or should I go to the epistles?  Maybe I should get a Bible study program so I know what to follow.  Bible in a year?  No, I've tried that.  Character study?  Maybe.  Beth Moore?  I heard her David one is really good.  Psalm and Proverb of the day?  There are more books in the Bible, though.  Hmm...I guess I'll just open to a random page and start halfheartedly reading... (which can actually be a really good strategy, I've discovered.  Well, not the halfhearted part, of course).

My wanting a program to follow in almost all areas of my life is problematic.  I want to be able to measure my "progress."  Did I read enough today?  Do I comprehend or at least remember something from what I read?  Am I dedicated enough?  I know no program can measure my spiritual growth.  I know it doesn't matter if I read Psalm 21 on the 25th (Wait! If I had been following that program, I could have been blessed by this four days sooner!).  Also, a program makes it far easier for me to not have to do the dreaded thing of making a decision about what to read.  Someone else has already decided for you!  Because I know these things about myself, I've decided not to follow a program at this time. There are some I am really interested in doing at some point, but I need to take charge of my own growth for a little while.  The program I am going to follow is to read about something on my heart. It sounds simple enough.  I think I can master that.  It is not as though I am going to run out of thoughts!  But, if I do, I know I can turn to a Psalm, a Proverb, or an account about Jesus and go from there.  

I pray to be spiritually full, but always hungry for more.