Walking, Talking Thanksgiving

Scripture:

Colossians 3:17
"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Observation:

Whatever I do!?! Seriously?
Do you mean to tell me that God actually takes an interest in my mundane chores ... my leisure activities ... the tv I watch ... my work ... my family life ...?
If so, what does that look like? Is God a helicopter parent, always hovering within range for the divine approval or disapproval over my activities to register? Or, is God the boss that expects I am always working, always answering the phone and keeping up with emails? Or, might God be the curious type who is always ready to ask an extra question in order to find out more about me and what excites me?
As always, the type of God we serve makes all the difference to the ways we serve.

Now, let's just say I want to take Colossians up on its advice: how would I go about it? Do I put crosses on my shoes ... make sure I sign off my emails with a Pauline quote ... put a Jesus bumper sticker on the car? In answer to this question, I appreciate the proverbial wisdom of this quote (sometimes mistakenly attributed to Martin Luther), 

"The Christian shoemaker does his duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, 

but by making good shoes, 

and selling them at a fair price.”

Application:

I am challenged by this passage to deeper accountability for how I speak and act, especially during "my down time". I don't believe that being a follower of Christ Jesus means that I can only watch "christian movies" (whatever those are), but I do have the sense that some of what I watch would be awfully hard to watch "in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

I also want to share that I have been richly blessed by the Advent discipline I took up this year - walking home the long way from the bus stop, beginning by saying, "O.K. God, here I am, where are You?" This intensely simple practise - done in a spirit of hopeful expectation has provided me with so many clear experiences of God at work close-at-hand in mundane chores ... leisure activities ... in animals, people, and nature. The experience has been truly enriching. Today, it even led to me praying for my neighbours and our neighbourhood - something I've been told is a good thing to do, believed, but never did much about.

Maybe this is what Colossians 3:17 is about at its core. The point is not that we ought to bring God into our daily work, rest and play. Rather, we each enjoy a standing invitation to join God who is already at work, rest and play in, over and through us at all times.  When we accept that invitation we do so to the glory of God and the benefit of the neighbour.

Prayer:

Here I am God. Where are You? Amen.