Do All To the Glory of God
2008-03-19

Psalms for today: 19, 49, 79, 109, 139

Do not remember against us our former iniquities;
let your compassion come speedily to meet us, for we are brought very low.
Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name;
deliver us, and atone for our sins, for your name's sake!--Psalm 79:8-9


Day 118

Ecclesiastes 9:7-10

Colossians 3:17 in The Message says, "Let every detail of your lives--words, actions, whatever--be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way."

Today's passage kind of puts that in perspective, what it means to do that. Here it is:

Seize life! Eat bread with gusto,
Drink wine with a robust heart.
Oh yes--God takes pleasure in your pleasure!
Dress festively every morning.
Don't skimp on colors and scarves.
Relish life with the spouse you love
Each and every day of your precarious life.
Each day is God's gift. It's all you get in exchange
For the hard work of staying alive.
Make the most of each one!
Whatever turns up, grab it and do it. And heartily!
This is your last and only chance at it,
For there's neither work to do nor thoughts to think
In the company of the dead, where you're most certainly headed.

Does anyone remember the old Dairy Queen commercials from, I think, the 70s? "Eat, drink, and be merry!" Well, they stole that from the writer of Ecclesiastes. Because that's basically what he says here. "Whatever your hands find to do, do it with your might!"

Live life with gusto! Oh...that was a beer commercial wasn't it? Heh. Oh, well.

I think I've fallen into the trap/rut of living life as a drudgery. Every day, I do the same things. I get up, I read my Bible readings (not a bad thing, mind you), I eat dinner (yeah....remember I work nights), I watch some tv, play some WoW, and I go to work. I come home, eat something, piddle around a bit, then go to sleep. Work is painfully boring at times. But...if I took more of the attitude that this writer suggests, it would be different. The routine might be basically the same, but my attitude about it wouldn't be.

And can God enjoy this life with me? Rather, can I enjoy it with God? To either question I say, heartily, "YES!!"


Father, O, my Father, restore to me the joy of life. Let me "seize," "drink," and "relish" my life along with my family! Let me not be bored with life (which I really believe is a sin). I'm not surprised at the revelation that this is how I need to live life. It's not even really a revelation, but more of a reminder. Forgive me for letting myself get bored. Forgive me for allowing life to become drudgery. Let it be alive in you! Let me do whatever I have to do with all my might and to glorify your name!

I just may go for a walk in the morning after work. I need to get out, get active, look at the world.

EAT, DRINK, AND BE MERRY!!

(But, as in all things, in moderation.)

Grace and peace, friends.



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