“Whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the Name of Jesus.” Colossians 3:17 NIV.
The sacred gives dignity and purpose to all you do.
My thoughts and comments today are that “all of life is sacred.”
People attempt to separate and compartmentalize daily life into distinct activities – home, work, play, or church. Life is best when those blend together, each contributing and complementing the others. What you are at church or home should be the same when at work or play. You live as God designed when you approach all of life with reverence and gratitude.
The sacred is never successfully divorced from every part of your life. Your life and mine is to be publicly consistent, “. . among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the Word of life.” Philippians 2:16. Read Matthew 5:13-16 NLT. The sacred gives dignity and purpose to all you do. Secular culture tries to diminish the effect and depreciate the value of anything that is sacred. That pressure is increasingly visible today in diverse attempts to restrict and relegate the sacred away from the public square. Paul was clear, “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.” Colossians 3:17 NIV. Let me suggest what such an obedience would mean.
(1) What you do is on His behalf. Would that change what you do and how you do it? “Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” Colossians 3:23 NLT. Nor working for yourself!
(2) What you do is under His authority. Invest yourself only in activities under His authority. Jesus said, “And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask Me for anything in My name, and I will do it.” John 14:13-14 NIV. Why waste any portion of your life apart from His direction and involvement?
(3) What you do is with His partnership and power. I love this verse about the early disciples, “And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the Word through the accompanying signs.” Mark 16:20. What would your life look like – at home, work, play, or church – if your efforts were always with God’s blessing?
(4) What you do redeems the secular. The sacred redeems what would otherwise be devoid of value and vacantly secular. “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? . . God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.” 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 NIV. There is no moment or activity of your life when or where Jesus is unwilling to be included and fully invested. Jesus’ presence makes all of life sacred.
Today, I pray for you to live for God as an undeniable testimony before a watching world.