The purpose of life in God |
I just heard a Christian pondering whether the mundane task they had to do tomorrow could somehow be considered by God as worthwhile.
Then they described a video in which tiny tasks such as smiling at a child caused a dark earth (viewed from space) to get a dot of brightness until finally the earth was all lit up.
(I can't imagine how tedious this video must have been to produce with so many dots needing lighting.)
But this video did not speak to the situation of the mundane task they had to do tomorrow. Their task didn't involve smiling at children.
(Maybe there should be a video with dots lighting every time someone gets a ditch dug that they needed, or every time someone gets their trash can emptied.)
. . . . .
These kinds of Christians claim to only need God's grace, but yet they seem to obsess with the tiniest of activities and whether God called them to do it, and whether it pleases God, and how they need to try harder next time.
I am not that kind of Christian.
Seems to me the purpose in life is somehow contained within the simple fact of conscious living itself, not in the need to perform some great and unattainable (for most people) life work.
Seems to me the idea, "work is worship", comes closer to the spirit of how we find meaning and purpose in life in God.
But I prefer the idea, "living is worship" — God doesn't need us to work to worship him; just "being" is sufficient. Even dogs and bacteria can do that; can worship God.
The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. (Isaiah 55:12b)
But Jesus answered, "I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!" (Luke 19:40)
Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the LORD. (1 Chronicles 16:33a)
Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy. (Psalm 98:8)