I don’t know about you, but sometimes I think God is really trying to get my attention, possibly because I haven’t been paying attention before!
Well, I feel like this is happening a lot lately and I’ve started looking around to see what He’s trying to get me to change. Because, ultimately, He wouldn’t be trying to hard to get me to listen if I were doing all the right things in the first place.
I keep hearing a song on the radio by Steven Curtis Chapman called Do Everything. I’d post the video here but experience has taught me that it wouldn’t work anyway, but go to YouTube and look for it if you don’t know the song.
The basic message is to “Do Everything You Do for the Glory of God.”
Years ago, I tried to figure out how that’s even possible. At the time I was the wife of a graduate student and the mom of a little girl about four or five years old. We were living in a trailer and seriously had no money. I was thinking about being a writer and people would suggest that I go to a book store and buy the kinds of books I wanted to write and study them. They just didn’t get that I literally didn’t have the money to buy books!
Doing my daily chores and life stuff for the glory of God just didn’t compute. How did defrosting a freezer or folding clothes glorify God? Didn’t I need to be praying endless Rosaries or going out and finding the homeless and bringing them back to my house to feed and clothe?
We actually did take care of a homeless guy for awhile but frankly, he wanted to drink and break windows more than he wanted new clothes or food.
Now it’s years later, and I’m older and I hope, more mature in my walk with Jesus. Last summer, when I went to RWA Nationals, I got a very strong feeling that God was reaffirming to me that He wants me to write. The speakers all seemed to be telling me that and even the missal at the church I went to Mass on Sunday morning had a picture on the cover labeled, “Jesus the Storyteller.” I felt like God was sitting next to me, saying, “Look, I gave you the talent and the desire to write. What are you going to do about it?”
A year has gone by and I’ve finished my book, sent it to an agent, and am still looking. I’m also working on the second book in the series along with a middle grade fantasy novel based on stories my son tells.
But if I’m getting this message that I need to do everything for the glory of God, what am I missing?
Well, of course I know. I’m not working hard enough on my writing. I waste a lot of time on computer games, Facebook, whatever.
And there’s more.
This was the year I said I was going to meet my weight loss goals, and that’s not looking so promising now. I hate tracking my food and I love ice cream.
But, I’m starting to get a new perspective. Today’s second reading this morning was Romans 12:1-2 and as I followed along in the missal I felt that 2×4 to my head (or my heart, maybe) again. Verse 2 especially:
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Okay, so I’m now seeing things a little differently. When I want to do something, I’ve started asking myself, “Does this bring glory to God?”
If I’m folding clothes or cleaning the bathroom or emptying the dishwasher, I’ve started to realize that those things bless my family and I’ve been called to be a mom so if I do mom things then I bring glory to God.
If I sit down and write my word quota, then since I’m called to write, I bring glory to God.
If I spend an hour playing Word with Friends or Frontierville, I’m not bringing glory to God if my other tasks are being neglected. Games and pasttimes are not evil but they’re not my calling.
Sundays are a day of rest and I can play games then. I can also sew for my family and that’s renewing to my spirit, too, so I can bring glory to God by blessing my family with clothing or lovely things to look at or quilts to keep them warm. I can make gifts to bless others, too.
If I’m eating healthy food to nourish my temple of the Holy Spirit, I bring glory to God.
If I stuff my face with cake and cookies, to the exclusion of good food, I don’t.
I don’t know where this all will lead me but it’s a journey I’m looking forward to.
This was extremely inspirational! I too have been wondering how anything I can do can be to the glory of God when I don’t even have time (between two jobs and being a full time student) to volunteer for simple things at church. Some weeks, I don’t even make it to church because I’m working to pay for school so I just have some quiet time in prayer at home before I pass out at night. But right now, this blog helped me realize I’m being called to go to school to be a teacher and work towards my future of also being a mom (my greatest desire). And I feel like as long as I keep my eyes on God and keep living according to his plan for me, it’s ok if I can’t make it to church every Sunday or if I feel like I’m not giving enough time to my friends or family (even if they all assure me I am). As long as I keep myself focused on where He’s leading me, I’m doing it all for the glory of Him and that’s exactly what he wants.
Hello, Nancy.
I think you are seeing things the right way.
Every action can glorify God.
I used to wonder if He would take offense at the writing of hot romance, but the more I’ve thought about it and researched it, the more I think He’d be okay. Certainly no lightning bolts have come down from the sky.
In the end, none of us will know until the great hereafter.
Nice post.
Kelly
I’ve enjoyed your thoughts this morning. I’m going to put them into my life, and make a difference. Thanks so much for being open and honest. I know God loves me. I know I want to serve him. Now, I know it’s the little things that do so. Great blog.
Thank you for sharing. Many of us are on a similar journey doing the best we can the best way we know how. I appreciate your insight
Very inspirational, Nancy.
I’ve also wondered how to glorify God in my everday-type life. I admire those who heed their call to serve in a selfless capacity such as missionaries, etc. The question is how am I to serve God if I don’t have such a noble calling? Like you, I feel my calling is to write, but earlier this year I started wondering. I don’t write inspirational, so how would my writing glorify God? I’m not published, so how do I glorify God by sitting at a desk writing words day after day, words that may never be read?
Then I found a quote from Mother Teresa. “God has not called me to be successful – He has called me to be faithful.” I may never write great stuff. I may never be published. All that matters is that I keep doing what He wants me to do, despite any obstacles and without guarantee of earthly reward. This means each word I write is an act of faith. Acts of faith glorify God.