Monday, January 19, 2009

"Learning in War-Time"

“’Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.’ All our merely natural activities will be accepted, if they are offered to God, even the humblest: and all of them, even the noblest, will be sinful if they are not. Christianity does not simply replace our natural life and substitute a new one: it is rather a new organization which exploits, to its own supernatural ends, these natural materials.”

I really enjoyed reading this essay by Lewis. It was a very good reminder to me that whatever I do, it is to be done for the glory of God. It is often so easy for me to fall into the feeling that many parts of my life are trivial or mundane. I often have a hard time remembering to give God glory every time I go to the computer lab, do my laundry, or look in the mirror. Tasks like these become moments through which I am merely sleepwalking. I fail to perform my duty to give to God the glory and praise of which he is worthy. It is easy for me to remember to give God glory when I am in a class such as biology, religion, or DCM in which we are actively talking about how God works in our lives, through the lives of others, and in the physical world. It is also easy to remember to glorify God when I am in church or at chapel. It is often harder to find meaning in those moments in which we are taking out the trash, working a part-time job, or walking to class. This does not mean that these moments are not any less important to use to the glory of God. It is not just important for God’s sake, but for the sake of those around us. Whether we want to or not, we are constantly living as witnesses to people around us. It is important that we are bringing God glory at all times so as to show others what it means to live for Christ.

Another thing which I really liked about this article is that Lewis talks about any job, no matter how seemingly pointless it may seem, is an area of our lives in which we are called to put our whole selves in order to praise God. In our small group and in the class discussion, we talked about how often times in our churches, pastors, and especially missionaries are put on a pedestal as being somehow more holy than the rest of us or as having a more important job than others. As a niece of both a pastor and a missionary, I have heard the frustrations of my uncles when they talk about people looking to them in this manner. I think that many people often think about missionary and/or work as a minister as some of the only work through which you fully serve God in every moment. This is not true. Not only are we able, but we are called by God to serve and praise him in all that we do. At Calvin College, this means that it is our vocation as students to learn and to learn to the best of our ability, using the gifts we have been given to glorify God.

1 comment:

  1. Dear Kaylin,
    I love your comments on this essay. Yes! All is a witness to the people around us…
    Although it is the most demanding requirement of Christian life…
    Keep going! God Bless,
    Adriana & Paulo

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