Monday, May 30, 2016

like it's for Him


Lewis makes an important point about work today in A Year with C.S.Lewis.

He tells us that someone who picks up trash is serving God just as much (or more) than the man who preaches or writes gospel songs (my paraphrase) if He does it sincerely, as unto God. And this is true.
But we can take it one step farther. It's also true within one person's life. When you cook dinner or drive your kids to practice, your work is just as spiritually meaningful as when you sing in a choir or lead a Bible study. Again, it can be even more meaningful "spiritually", because it usually feeds your ego less to do the "mundane, menial" tasks, and requires more humility.

Ora et labora is the old, Latin way to refer to doing everything you do, all of your work, as a form of prayer. And making it a prayer doesn't have to mean closing your eyes and folding your hands (please don't when you're cooking or driving your kids to practice!)...rather, it just means lifting our minds to God. Involving Him in what we're doing. Lifting up our actions as forms of praise.

In this way, we truly can "pray without crashing" (that is what auto correct changed "ceasing" to, and it was too awesome to fix!)...And pray without ceasing as well.

God, please fill our every activity with Your amazing presence. We invite You.

5 comments:

Cherie L. Fleming-Pearce said...

This is exactly what I needed today.Every tiny thing in motherhood and homemaking that in the "World's eyes" is considered valueless, is so much more with a worshipful mindset. Every work...touching and priceless!

Julie said...

Well said!

Unknown said...

Very well said, even with the autocorrect. Brings spiritualism to everyday life.

Unknown said...

Very well said, even with the autocorrect. Brings spiritualism to everyday life.

Unknown said...

Oh yeah! My best prayer time with Jesus is on my commute to work..it's like we get in a zone when I am driving it is the most amazing thing. It puts me in the right mind set for the rest of the day. The chaotic days will be calm when your eyes are on Jesus.