He was one of those quietly efficient men who always did more than his job demanded or than its payscale justified.”
–Elmer Kelton (The Man Who Rode Midnight)
“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
–Galatians 5:25 (NKJV)
————————-
One of my favorite writers is Fenelon (it seems as if I have lots of favorite writers). Fenelon was bishop in France in Louis XIV’s court. There is a quotation of his that I want to ponder more closely today.
“When we are really abandoned to God, all that we do we do well, without doing many things.”
Yesterday I wrote about sharing secrets with God and Him sharing secrets with us. When we get to that point we have found not only friendship, but true worship. But the question is, do we really want to be that intimate with God? Fenelon is saying the same thing. To be truly connected with God we will do our best in everything. We will not just get by, things will not be haphazard in our lives, we will not live a mediocre lifestyle.
Many times I have written that worship is not only music! I emphasize that again. Music can be a form of worship, but true worship is abandoning ourselves to God. True worship is a lifestyle, not a feeling. A question is then, if you don’t “feel” anything can you worship? See, emotions and feelings are not worship. They may come from time-to-time when a person does worship, but don’t mistake them for worship.
Worship is relative to life. A person who really understands what worship is will worship while doing dishes in the kitchen. They will worship while driving down the road and are cut off. They will worship in all legitimate activities of life for they have done everything with purpose and unto the Lord. We don’t give Him mediocre work, that is not true worship. (see, Colossians 3:17,23). Jesus said, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24, NKJV). Truth here means reality. In the midst of the virus worship, for that is reality right now. Worship then is obedience, worship is service, worship is loving God with all our mind, our soul, our will. Yes, and worship is adoring Him at the altar.
Now to the second part of that quotation, “without doing many things.” This in no way can mean a life of sloth and laziness. The question becomes what is “many.” That must be determined by the individual and it is constantly changing due to the “thing” and the time. This is why prioritizing is so important. Don’t get caught up doing “many things” or in other words “busy-work.” When teaching leadership I would give the following when prioritizing:
1) urgent and important
2) urgent
3) important
4) busy work
5) useless work
The things that are urgent and important MUST be done! However, do not neglect busywork. For example, emptying the trash can might be busywork today, but if it is not emptied for a couple of weeks, it might become urgent and important. A host of varmints may have invaded, and the aroma may have become atrocious. In all of these categories we are not mediocre because of the category for we do all for the Lord.
One more thought in regard to “many things.” I cannot do the same things today that I was able to do thirty years ago. I cannot do as many things as I did thirty years ago. I have to be more select in the things I do, yet in those things do it unto the Lord. Do not forget the words of Solomon, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might…” (Ecclesiastes 9:10, NKJV).