A Way of Life

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Colossians 3:15-17

At the hospital where I work as a counselor, the days are long. Between those walls, I share in God’s work—I am his hands, his words, his presence. And most days I don’t even mention his name. I have seen more miracles than I can count. The patients give me their stories, and I do my best to receive them gently. Some days I weep over the hardest tales. Others humble me into silence. But always, I receive their words as gift.

My work is sacred.

I haven’t always believed this. There was a time when I kept my work and faith lives separate. It wasn’t a deliberate thing; people just didn’t talk about work outside of vocational ministry as holy work. How could the work I do be viewed as ministry? As I have grown in faith, I have come to see that when I do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, all of life is holy.

As Christians we order our lives around the rhythms of work, rest, worship, spiritual disciplines, and community. These rhythms cultivate in us a life of gratitude. When all of life is turned toward God, every moment becomes an offering of thanks. We don’t always do this perfectly, but to keep trying is to honor God with our lives. Thanksgiving only shows up on the calendar one day of the year, but if we do everything we do in the name of Jesus—including our work—every day becomes a day of thanks.

BIBLE PASSAGE:

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 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 3:15-17

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: Do you think of your work as a way to join in God’s work? Do you feel you have a good rhythm in your work life and spiritual life? How do they work together to strengthen and enrich each other? How can you encourage someone else that God cares about the work they do?

PRAYER: Holy Father, I thank you that you care about the work of our hands. You ask us to join in your good work through the work we do everyday. But you also care about the ordinary moments. All these things we do in the unseen moments of life—the laundry, the sacrifice of sleep, the long drives to the job that feeds our family, the rinsing of the cup, the holding of the hand, the kissing the booboos—what a privilege it is to do it all in your name, to bring you glory through every holy moment of our lives.

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Don’t Worry, Be Thankful

In Philippians 4, Paul invites people to rejoice in the Lord always. Always? Even when Christians are being persecuted by Rome? Even when Paul himself is in prison? Always? Even when someone I love is dying? Even when I have lost my job? “Do not worry about anything,” Paul continues. Instead, we are called to present our worries to God with thanksgiving. Many of our readers in the United States are celebrating Thanksgiving this week, with a turkey dinner and pumpkin pie. We invite you to reflect on gratitude and thankfulness and consider sharing some thoughts with your family this week from our theme Don’t Worry, Be Thankful.

Featured image by Mary Anne Morgan. Used with Permission. Source via Flickr.