He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me. (Psalm 50:23)
“I am doing now what I will do for all eternity.
I am blessing God, praising him, adoring him, and loving him with all
my heart.”
These words, which echo today’s Responsorial Psalm, come from Brother
Lawrence, a monk who lived in seventeenth-century Paris. As the cook
for his community, Brother Lawrence held one of its more mundane jobs.
But he made it a point to delight in the Lord even while doing mundane
kitchen tasks. Instead of interrupting his conversation with God so that
he could deal with “earthly issues,” Brother Lawrence invited God into
every aspect of his life. By continually talking to him as he worked
throughout the day, he found a wonderful way to offer “praise as a
sacrifice” to God (Psalm 50:23).
We all have obligations in our lives. Driving the kids to school or
soccer practice, making dinner for the family, or staying late at the
office to finish a project—all of these can seem monotonous and
“unspiritual.” But God can give you a new perspective. You can approach
your day intentionally, by deciding to praise the Lord in each of your
activities.
This isn’t always easy. That’s why the psalmist called it a
sacrifice. It’s not always easy to remember to turn to the Lord.
Sometimes we may not want to because we fear he might ask something of
us that we don’t want to give. But if we can get in the habit of
inviting God into each task we do, our awareness of his presence will
grow. We’ll also find that being in God’s presence isn’t as scary as we
once thought. Just as Brother Lawrence did, we will gradually find
ourselves delighting in the Lord and his love.
Try it today. Take some time right now to tell God how much you love
him and want to glorify him. Then try your best to welcome him into your
situations. Talk with him about the traffic while you’re driving. Tell
him about the meal you are preparing for your family. Even feel free
enough to complain to him about a deadline at work and to ask him for
his help. The more you do this, the more it will become second nature to
you. You will find yourself praising God even without realizing it!
“Lord, teach me to welcome you into my activities today.”
from wau.org
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