Image credit: pkruger / 123RF Stock Photo

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31)

This Bible verse is the last one listed under our (first) Family Value: Above All Love and Honor God.  As I said last week, starting with a Family Mission Statement helps guide our family memory work and the teaching of our children.  But our goals and values are not just for the children, they are for the parents too!

Today’s verse, reminds us all to glorify God in the small and big things.  The original context of the verse has to do with Christians eating with pagans.  Paul is admonishing the Corinthian church, to be aware of their behavior in their “mission field”.  This is still true for us today.  Others are looking to us – to see Christ.

For me, my primary mission field is in my home, to my husband and kiddos.  Yours may be at your job, in your neighborhood, or in your church.  At our house, we  try to remember the old saying “YOU might be the only Bible that some people ever read.”  So…whatever we do, it should glorify, or reflect the accurate image of, Christ.

But do any of you have those days…those days when you feel defeated by life from the moment you wake up?  As for me, it is usually when I am trying to do too many things, in too short a period of time.  Then I start to fall behind, and I feel overwhelmed.  Sometimes I have a “hangover” of this feeling from the day before…when I wake up to kids’ shoes in the foyer, a dishwasher full of dirty dishes that I forgot to run, clothes that need to be folded, mail that has yet to be sorted…

Right then, it helps me to remember that my primary purpose in life is simply to reflect the image of Christ.  It is a small thought that has a big impact and can turn my day around immediately.  I can make “progress”, where there was none, simply by pursuing the mountain of tasks with a humble, obedient, loving heart.  That way, before hubby leaves for work and when the kiddos get up, I can be as Christ to them… because whoever says [she] abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked (1 John 2:6).

Now…how we got to that messy house is a different story…we have picked up some bad habits and are working to replace them with good ones.  But that is a story for another time!

This week’s memory verse  challenges us to be intentional in our living, and to be mindful to show Christ to others in everything we do.  Because our actions speak louder than our words and they should “tell” others about Him.  Today, join me as I picture Jesus asking me, “What about you?  Who do you say that I am?” (Luke 9:20).