The bible tells us in Colossians 3:17, "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." The New Living Translation says it this way, "Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people." I would like to dive in a little deeper and really understand this verse today.
The verse says that whatever we do, or everything we do, should be done unto the Lord. So if it says everything, let’s take a look at the physical meaning of this. Doing the dishes, laundry, grocery shopping, baths for your kiddos, going to work every day, doctor appointments, waking up in the middle of the night with sick kiddos, am I right? If the word everything is to include everything, then these things would fall under that meaning. So, yes, God is asking for us to gladly take on even these mundane, hard, tough, exhausting physical day things and to do them as unto Him with a glad spirit and while thanking Him. Okay, so you might be like “why in the world would I give God thank when my baby is sick and keeping me up all night?” You could look at it this way, thank him for allowing you to have the gift of children. Not everyone is able to have the gift of a child, so in the middle of those really tough times as a parent, stop, and thank God for the opportunity and privilege to be a mother or father to a child. Or you may say “how can I give God thanks while I am sitting at work, hating my job and I have a boss breathing down my neck?” Stop, and thank him for the job. Many people don’t have one and are struggling to support their families. Maybe you are a mother of three children and the laundry piles up quicker than you can get it done, the dirty dishes are never ending, and the house is always a mess. Look around and take a breath. Then, thank God for the roof over your head, the plate and silverware you eat your food with, the clothes you have to wear in those cold winter months, and those kids smiling and laughing around you. There is so much to be thankful for.
Let’s take a look and dissect this verse in the spiritual. If we are to give God thanks and glory in everything, then that must mean we are to do so even in those times we are spiritually weak. We all have endured these times in our lives, maybe at different extents but nonetheless, we all have gone through them. It is in our weaknesses that God can show his strength by pulling us through the toughest of times. Those nights when we fall to our knees, tears streaming uncontrollably down our face, that we cry out to God to help us. And he hears, he sees us, and he makes a way out where we saw no way out. Our spiritual weakness shows us God's strength and victory. If we are on our knees, at our lowest point, and we decide to give God glory and honor and praise, worshipping him, then, he will honor that and bring us out of our darkness. He will pick us up and carry us through. We show so much spiritual growth when we face a hard time in our lives but we decide not to be brought down by it but instead to lift it up unto God and praise him anyways.
Using words of positivity during the mundane physical and spiritual moments instead of being negative will make a huge difference in your happiness and bring on joy. I have found myself feeling exhausted while doing a whole sink and counter full of dishes. As I stood there angry about having to do them, I had to stop myself (multiple times) and say “this is my reasonable service and I will do it with joy and thanks.” It isn’t easy to enjoy doing the dishes! There isn’t anything fun or exciting about it. But when I began to think about how blessed I am to have a dishwasher to make it go easier and faster, how blessed I am to have all the beautiful dishes I have to eat the food God blessed my family with, and how some don’t have a plate let alone much food to feed their families with, it’s then, in those moments that I begin to smile and be so very thankful for doing a sink and counter full of dishes.
Giving God praise and thanks during the good times of our lives is easy. Life is going great and we have no worries in the world so yea let me thank God for everything. But being in our toughest moments and deciding that we will not cave to life or the enemies tries to drag us down, and instead standing tall, lifting up our arms, and saying “thank you God for this beautiful life you have given to me! Thank you for loving me even though I fall and I fail. Thank you for being stronger than I ever will so that I can lean on you, because I am feeling really weak right now and I need your strength. Please God take this thing I am dealing with.” That my friend is winning. That is when you will see God’s hand reach down and gather up all your broken pieces and make something beautiful out of them.
My last little note to help us in order to be able to give thanks to God even in our toughest moments is this, throughout my life, I have come to know this truth, there is and always will be someone who has life harder than you, so don’t ever take what God has given to you for granted. Instead, thank him, give him praise, and then, kneel down every so often and lift up those who have less than you. Pray for them. Pray they too will honor God in everything they do as well. Do it all, everything as unto the Lord.
He gives us Roots so we can Fly. Roots and Wings.
