It is encouraging to know that we can do ALL THINGS to the glory of the Lord, even the mundane everyday tasks that we do every day.  We learn 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.”  Even such things as eating can be done to the glory of the Lord.  1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or WHATSOEVER YE DO, do all to the glory of God.”  (We can overeat and dishonor the Lord.  Read Proverbs 23:21.)  With the proper Spirit driven attitude, we can do everything to the honor and glory of the Lord.  When we go to work and seek to do our very best, we honor our Lord.  When we work with a good attitude even when things are not going well, we honor our Lord.

With those things in mind, I think we see that we do not have to be so concerned about the proper balance between service to the Lord and taking care of temporal needs.  We can do all things to the glory of the Lord.

I am so often reminded of the words of the Apostle Paul immediately after he was saved.  He asked, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” (Acts 9:6).  Paul stood ready to be obedient to the voice of the Lord.  He was ready to do whatever the Lord told him to do.  That is how we should live our lives…ready to obey the Lord no matter how He leads us.  That should be a question that we constantly ask the Lord… “what do you want me to do?”

Let’s look at the activities of the saints in the early church.  We read in Acts 2:42, “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”  These disciples realized it was important to maintain a good relationship with the Lord and with each other, so these things became part of their practice.  They continued persistently in:

* The apostles’ doctrine – They were persistent in obeying the truths that were taught by the apostles.  Today, we strive to be obedient to the completed Word of God.

* Fellowship – They understood the value of being together with fellow Christians.  We read in Hebrews 10:24-25, “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: NOT FORSAKING THE ASSEMBLING OF OURSELVES TOGETHER, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”  As believers, we need one another.

* Breaking of bread – This term is synonymous with the remembrance feast of the Lord Jesus that was instituted in Matthew, Mark, and Luke and then expounded upon in 1 Corinthians 11:23-31.  How important it is that we worship together with those of ‘like precious faith.’ (2 Peter 1:1)

* Prayers – These disciples also realized the importance of praying together with other saints, so they met often to have prayer meetings.

Daily Bible study is so important to the spiritual health of the believer.  The Apostle Paul commended the Bereans because they “searched the scriptures daily”. (Acts 17:11).  We should be just as faithful and feed upon God’s Word every day.  As we sometimes sing in our Sunday School meetings, “Read your Bible, pray every day, and you’ll grow, grow, grow!”  Daily study and prayer is so vital to a healthy Christian life.

However, we also have temporal duties.  Is it time to go to work?  Go…and do your best for the Lord’s sake.  Does the lawn need mowing?  Mow it, realizing it is a necessary action.  Indeed, as you mow the lawn, thank the Lord for allowing you to have a yard to mow.  Do the clothes need washing?  Wash them as you thank the Lord for providing you with clothes to wear.  Are there neighbors who are shut-in and would like a visitor?  Perhaps there is someone in your life who is not a believer.  Is there someone you can help in physical or spiritual ways?  Remember the words of the apostle, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?”  Seek the Lord’s guidance so that you can do HIS will and not your own.  We are told in 2 Samuel 22:31, “As for God, his way is perfect…”  We should get into the habit of seeking the Lord’s will in all things.  Some things we MUST do every day.  Do we need to pray and ask the Lord if He wants us to go to work today?  No.  We know we are obligated to work.  However, we should seek the Lord’s guidance in living our every day lives in such a way that pleases and honors Him.  In that, each day may not be alike, but He will lead each day as we seek His guidance.  He will give us the balance that we need to live to honor Him.  (359.6)