1999-05-20 - Even the Mundane

1 Cor 10:31 Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (NAS)

I have been impressed this week with the mundane things of life. They are pervasive in every day and every hour of the lives of so many people. We resist the mundane, seeking excitement, and alternately seek them out looking for a rest bit from the hectic pace of life - even routine hectic life. For a large number of us, we get up, eat, work (school, job, housework, etc.), eat, spend evenings doing or resting, and sleep. Then we get up the next day and do it all over again.

There is an old song that starts, "What do you do if you've sung the same song 10,000 times or more?" People who perform music in a professional or high-end performance will rehearse the same song hundreds of times. If it is one of their signature songs, they will perform and sing that tune thousands of times over a period of years. Why do they sing? They are trying to express a message to their audience. They have something to say. The truth is that no one human being is 'up' every night. But if they walk out on stage and perform with lackluster enthusiasm, or with a void of expression, it is very likely the message will not reach the end of the platform. The song I mentioned earlier asks, "Does it mean that the message is any less true then if you'd never sung it before?" Of course not. That singer has to overcome the familiarity with the music and pour the meaning into the words that were so important to convey the first time. There is probably someone out there hearing it for the first time.

When something becomes familiar, too familiar, it is easy to want to cut corners and hurry past it. If it is worth doing, it is worth doing well. Paul was speaking to the Corinthians who were concerned about eating meat that had been, unknown to them, sacrificed to idols. Paul basically says, if you don't know about it then your conscience is clear. They were right to be concerned, but God knew their hearts desire to do right and glorify Him. He goes on to say in eating or drinking, or in the mundane things of life, or whatever you do - glorify your Father. If that is your desire, it will be done well and others around you will be blessed too. When it is done for your Lord, it removes the mundane from the task.

Lord Jesus, help us to share more of the day to day things in our lives with You. If we do them for Your glory, we will be inspired to add a little polish to the finished product. You can use that difference to draw people around us to Yourself. Amen.

Peace,
Mike

jmhoskins@gmail.com
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