Teach me to welcome you

He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me.

“I am doing now what I will do for all eternity.   I am blessing God, praising him, adoring him, and loving him with all my heart.”

These words come from Brother Lawrence, a monk who lived in seventeenth-century Paris.   As the cook for his community, Brother Lawrence held one of its more mundane jobs.   But he made it a point to delight in the Lord even while doing mundane kitchen tasks.   Instead of interrupting his conversation with God so that he could deal with “earthly issues,” Brother Lawrence invited God into every aspect of his life.   By continually talking to him as he worked throughout the day, he found a wonderful way to offer “praise as a sacrifice” to God.

We all have obligations in our lives.   Driving the kids to school or soccer practice, making dinner for the family, or staying late at the office to finish a project—all of these can seem monotonous and “unspiritual.”   But God can give you a new perspective.   You can approach your day intentionally, by deciding to praise the Lord in each of your activities.

This isn’t always easy.   That’s why scripture called it a sacrifice.   It’s not always easy to remember to turn to the Lord.   Sometimes we may not want to because we fear he might ask something of us that we don’t want to give.   But if we can get in the habit of inviting God into each task we do, our awareness of his presence will grow.   We’ll also find that being in God’s presence isn’t as scary as we once thought.   Just as Brother Lawrence did, we will gradually find ourselves delighting in the Lord and his love.

Try it today.   Take some time right now to tell God how much you love him and want to glorify him.   Then try your best to welcome him into your situations.   Talk with him about the traffic while you’re driving.   Tell him about the meal you are preparing for your family.   Even feel free enough to complain to him about a deadline at work and to ask him for his help.   The more you do this, the more it will become second nature to you.   You will find yourself praising God even without realizing it!

word among us