“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 3:17
She passed the coffee order to him with a cheery, “Have a good day!” His tone of annoyance was evident in his reply, “Whatever!”
I was next in line. The girl grimaced as I stepped forward and smiled. We both had taken note of the stagnant answer. I wondered if the young man was counting the days until Friday. Some days can have that effect when life seems to settle into a pattern with little or no expectation of adventure.
Sipping my coffee I read those words from Colossians and thought of the short encounter I had just witnessed:
“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.”
The “whatever!” answer to the coffee girl gets turned on its head by this verse. God Himself asks us to say and do “whatever” as if we are representing Him; as if we are doing or saying it in His name and with a heart of gratitude!
The challenge is intriguing. It’s practical and could be very powerful. Could it actually put a sense of adventure into our days? Could you envision doing your routine, unexciting tasks of this week as a representative of the Almighty God? Could you do them with a grateful heart even when the doing does not particularly inspire you? What if your words were spoken and then you added “and I am saying this in the name of Jesus”. Would it change what you were about to say? Would it impact how you would act?
O Lord, please give me Your wisdom as I do the “whatever” today. Would You help thanksgiving to rise up within me? Thank You that I do not need to be tossed about by the dramatic nor the mundane things going on around me. Help me to do what‘s in front of me, and speak to those around me with the awareness that I am representing You. Change my focus as I fill my mind with Your wisdom. Let peace and joy spill over in this week’s chapter of my story and may others be touched by You, through me, in the “whatever” of my week. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
Thought: Make a choice. Today choose to use the mundane, stagnant “whatevers” as a launch pad to change the way you do and say what you do and say. And then give thanks for those mundane tasks and encounters. You just never know where this change of attitude could take you, especially when you invite Jesus to empower those sayings and doings with His strength. There is adventure waiting as you write the chapter in your story this week through a conscious awareness of the “whatever”.
By Gail Rodgers
Used by Permission
Further Reading
• Cure for Cynicism – a Thankful heart
• Unexpected Opportunity to be Thankful – Thankful for having cancer? For Herb Buller, yes.
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