Living Our Everyday Life To Please God
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Colossians 3:16). The word “dwell” means to be at home; let the Word of God be at home in your heart and mind. God’s word should be so engrained in our thoughts, words, and actions that it overflows into our everyday life—a Christian’s life should be consumed with learning and obeying God’s Word. It’s the only way to live our life to please God.
David wrote, “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word…Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:9-11). Christians should know and understand God’s instruction book—the Bible. The Bible is the most important book in the universe. We don’t have to know everything in the Bible in great detail! With few exceptions, most of the Bible is in plain language, and can be explained and understood in very few words. If a pastor wants his congregation to grow spiritually he should take them through a chapter of the Bible every week.
God told Jeremiah to write, “My people are foolish, they have not known Me. They are silly children, and they have no understanding. They are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge” (Jeremiah 4:22). Many Christians are wise to live according to worldly ways and traditions and foolish in living according to the ways of the Lord. Why? Because they haven’t been taught the Bible in its context. The writer of Hebrews wrote, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food” (Hebrews 5:12).
Paul wrote, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16–17). The Bible is the authority for living our life and accomplishing God’s work on this earth. When Solomon wanted to know how to rule God’s people he asked the Lord “Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of Yours?” (2 Chronicles 1:10). Paul told Timothy, “Study to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
“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). As a Christian we live in a natural world, and we live in a spiritual world. We have to take care of our earthly bodies; which requires us to eat, drink, bathe, and so many other things that concern our earthly existence. But we also have a relationship with God through our faith in Jesus Christ which requires us to live our earthly lives in accordance to the standards that God has set forth for us in the Bible.
Some Christians try to separate their earthly life completely from their spiritual life. This will always cause a Christian to have divided priorities and having two different set of rules to live by, which is a confusing and difficult way to live our life on this earth. Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (I Corinthians 10:31). Paul brings pleasing God right down to the basic things in life, such as eating, drinking, our work place, our family life, and the things we do for our pleasure. Even driving our car.
Many Christians don’t think they can worship God in the everyday things of life, but that’s not correct thinking. When Jesus met the woman at the well she asked Him where the correct place to worship is. Jesus said, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). Jesus is telling this woman that we can worship God at any time and at any place. Jesus didn’t have a divided life; He didn’t make any distinction between His everyday actions and worshiping God. Jesus said, “I always do the things that please My Father” (John 8:29).
Paul is telling us to “do all to the glory of God” because this is what God expects our life as a Christian to be. Jesus lived in an earthly body, and everything He did brought glory to God—Jesus turned His whole life into a life of sacrifice to God. Jesus even turned the act of a lowly donkey into a sacrifice to the Lord when He said of the donkey “the Lord has need of him” (Matthew 21:1-3). As Jesus Christ rode the donkey into Jerusalem the multitudes cried out, “Hosanna in the highest” (Matthew 21:1-5). Paul tells us to take every aspect of our everyday life, from getting up in the morning to going to bed at night, and placing it before God as an offering of sacrifice, praise and worship, because this is how God expects us to live our daily life (Romans 12:1). If your daily words and actions don’t glorify God, what makes you think that God will accept your Sunday worship?
Every Christian’s worship of God should involve their everyday lifestyle as much as going to church. “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things” (Acts 17:24-25). Christians should live their life as an offering to the Lord, staying strong in the faith, making sure that everything we think, say, and do is an acceptable sacrifice to the Lord. Christians should think of their entire everyday lifestyle as a service to God” (Ephesians 6:5-8).
Carlin Lawrence
