And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

  - Colossians 3.23, 24

You should be gentle, modest, and calm while carrying out your duties, performing each act, even if distasteful, with zeal and perseverance.

  - The Rule of Carthage, Irish, 7th century[1]

Undoubtedly, we all have things in our life which we consider “distasteful” – things we’d just rather not have to do.

Maybe they’re not so much distasteful as they are simply tedious, routine, boring, or menial.

Back when I was teaching in theological seminary, I used to love everything about instruction – except grading. I would do anything to avoid having to grade exams, papers, or projects. Often I’d have the students grade one another’s work, or I would give them presentations and projects to present in class, where I could enlist the other class members with me to assess their work.

Papers sometimes languished on my desk way longer than they should have. Grading just wasn’t my thing. Just like I’m sure, you too, have things you’d rather leave for someone else to do.

Can Paul be serious: “whatever you do”? Did Carthage really expect the monks in his monastery to work up zeal and perseverance as they fetched water, cleaned latrines, or mended stone fences?

Yet, isn’t it in the mundane, dirty details of life that Jesus showed the true grandeur of God’s love and power?

We need to seek the Lord to help us follow Carthage’s advice – and Paul’s exhortation – so that we can do all our work, down to the smallest details, with zeal and perseverance, honoring the Lord in all we do.

No work done in the name of Jesus Christ is insignificant. Each brief conversation, every thoughtful gesture, timely deed, or unprovoked word of affirmation has the power to minister the grace of God. Even the distasteful chores and routines that never go away are opportunities to rejoice in the Lord and serve Him well.

Too often we think of works of ministry as the big things church leaders do – preach, teach, lead worship, go on a missions trip. “Ministry” is glamorous, whereas most of what we do each day is, well, not.

But every task, every duty, every relationship, role, and responsibility is fraught with potential for glorifying God. The daily ministry of the saints, carried out in our Personal Mission Fields, is what builds the Church and furthers the Kingdom (Eph. 4.11-16). And everything in our lives, every activity, duty, meeting, or obligation, is an opportunity to serve and glorify the Lord.

Living in Christ’s Kingdom changes everything, you see, even the distasteful and tedious details of our lives.

The challenge to us is always to keep this in mind, and to seek the Lord for His perspective and grace, so that we’re never simply doing mindless, menial, tedious things, but we’re always serving the Lord and honoring Him with all our work. Whatever we do can glorify our Lord; therefore, let us do it with zeal and perseverance, that such may be the case.

The more we are conscious of the opportunities for ministry God brings our way each day, and the more we are zealous to do those works as unto the Lord, the more His grace and truth will reach others through us in life-transforming ways.

Let us not despise the small things in life. Take whatever opportunities for serving others that God gives you – no matter how distasteful or tedious they may be – and carry them through joyfully, and as a faithful steward of the grace and truth of the Lord.

Watch what God can do when you are zealous in the details to honor and glorify Him.

Psalm 90.16, 17 (Landas: “My Faith Has Found a Resting Place”)
Now let Your work to us appear; our children show Your might.
And let Your favor rest on us; show mercy in Your sight.
The work that You have given us, confirm, and to us show,
That we Your chosen path may walk and in Your precepts go.

Help me to be alert, O Lord, to every opportunity for serving others, any way I can.

Hidden with Christ in God
If you bear in mind that your life has been hidden with Christ in God, then nothing in your life is insignificant. Everything has eternal consequences and spiritual power for making all things new. The more you learn to live this “hidden life”, the more you’ll realize how glorious it can be to serve Christ in even the most mundane and routine of situations.

Our book, The Hidden Life, can help you learn to nurture that inner and spiritual life with the Lord. The 16 exercises in this little volume can lead you into a fuller experience of life in Christ, and fit you for a richer and more glorifying walk with Him. Order your copy of The Hidden Life by clicking here.

As always, we appreciate your prayers and gifts. God supports this ministry from among those who are served by it (Ps. 20.1, 2). We hope that, if you find our resources helpful in your walk with the Lord, you seek Him about sharing with us. You can click here to donate online with your credit card or through PayPal, or send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Dr., Essex Junction, VT 05452.

T. M. Moore, Principal
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

All Psalms for singing from The Ailbe Psalter. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.