From compartmentalized to interconnected

Posted by admin on Feb 17, 2010 in Issues & Ideas | 0 comments

“How in the world do you manage to fit God into your life?!” – The life of a student is a busy one. Most of us are taking a full course load, working part-time, and involved in extracurricular activities. Whether it is verbalized or thought, this question resonates with every Christian.

Through the various stages of my life, I am thankful that the Lord has replaced my question with His statement: “I am your life.” When we ask the question, “How does God fit in?” we see our lives as compartmentalized; yet I am now challenged to view life as interconnected, and I endeavour to have the Lord’s presence permeate every moment of the day.

In his letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul states, “whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (10:31, ESV). Eating and drinking are some of the most common tasks that we have to do. The Apostle Paul encourages us to engage in these ordinary events, and moreover, in everything, for God’s glory.

Though the initial question is transformed and answered, another question arises: “How do I live my life for God’s glory?”

Instructions on living a life that brings glory to God is stated in the Gospel of Luke: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (9:23).

This means waking up each morning and humbly committing the day to our Maker and Sustainer, as we acknowledge that anything good that is manifested in us is a gift from Him. It means saturating each day in thankfulness and being intentional that “in everything [we] do, in word and deed, [we] do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17).

There is room in the busy life of a student to have God’s presence infuse every aspect of one’s life. Ecclesiastes tells us to “Fear God and keep His commandment, for this is the whole duty of man” (12:13). Notice how the author does not say that to fear God and keep His commandments is a partial duty of humans. It clearly states that it is the entire duty of humankind.

I hope and pray that by reading the Word, you will be illuminated to see that the question, “Where does God fit into my life?” is invalid for the believer in Christ. Rather, each one of us should endeavour to live a life that proclaims the presence of Christ. By delving into each day with thankfulness, everything we do, from the mundane to the extraordinary, will demonstrate that God does not merely fit in to our lives, but rather, He, the great I AM, is our life.