Making the Mundane Holy (A Five Minute Focus)
Keeping connected to God during your day
Each day, we all go through our day doing things. Our day may contain some exciting events and opportunities, be what makes up most people’s lives is just plain mundane stuff. There is nothing exciting about “crunching” numbers, serving customers, or writing a report when we are at work. There is certainly nothing exceptional about changing a diaper, walking the dog, making a bed, taking out the trash, etc. That is unless you are a friend of mine who encountered a bear digging through his trash can when he took the trash out. Life is often very mundane. It is mostly about doing things that just need to be done. How can the process of doing mundane tasks each day help us become more like Jesus? We can “practice the presence of God” in the midst of the mundane.
Brother Lawrence was a 17th-century monk whose main job was washing dishes in the monastery where he lived. In his classic book, Practicing the Presence of God, he relates incidents and thoughts about connecting with God throughout the entire day. He shares the following prayer.
Lord of pots and pans and things, Since I have no time to be a great saint by doing lovely things, or watching late with Thee, or dreaming in the dawnlight, or storming Heaven’s gates, Make me a saint by getting meals, and washing up the plates.
When it comes to being formed into the image of Christ, the question is, “How often do you think about God during the day?” How often do you “connect” with the Father? It is so easy to put our spiritual formation into compartments. We go to church, we attend a Bible study, we pray in the morning or at mealtimes, etc. But we are not designed to live in little compartments. Life is more than that! What if you could “connect with God” throughout the entire day? Brother Lawrence did. He says,
“We should establish ourselves in a sense of God's presence, by continually conversing with Him.”
How do you do that? Here are five ideas.
Make your breaks mini “God-focused” breaks.
We all take breaks throughout the day - even if is a scheduled break at work. Besides resting your body and your mind, rest your soul. Focus on God during the break - praise him and thank him during your break.Focus your mind on God while doing manual tasks.
If you are doing something like mowing the lawn, mopping the floor, cleaning off the table and loading the dishwasher, act as if God is right there with you. He really is, you know! Acknowledge his presence. Lift up your family, friends, and church community to him during that time.Walk with God, when you need to walk.
We all move from one place to another, either by walking or wheelchair, etc. When you walk, walk as if Christ is beside you. Converse with Him (probably not out loud or you will get some very strange looks). Tell Him what you need for the rest of the day. He did tell us to pray “give us this day our daily bread.”Talk with God while driving.
This is so obvious, but so neglected. Turn of the radio or your streaming device. Don’t listen to music or talk radio. Listen to God! Talk to God! Tell him what is bothering you. Have a conversation with him!Talk with God while exercising.
What else is there to do while you are exercising? Listening to music or a podcast? Watch TV? Look at the other people around you to see who is in better shape than you? Your exercise time is a great time to have a conversation with God.
These are just a few ways of making the mundane holy by practicing the presence of God. I would love to hear your ideas. Please share in the comments section
Father, let us always remember and realize that you are an all-present God. You are with us every minute of every day - ready to enter into dialogue with us. Let us not miss opportunities to use our normal daily functions as times where you can and will continue to form us into the image of Jesus.