Getting Practical
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31 ). Several years ago Pastor John Piper wrote an article for his church newsletter titled “How to Drink Orange Juice to the Glory of God.” The article, as is clear from the title, is a meditation on the words we’ve been reflecting on this week, and especially Paul’s admonition to the Corinthians to eat and drink to God’s glory.
The glory of God, like much of the religious vocabulary we hear and use, usually evokes a polite smile but fails to truly inform the mind or shape behavior. We sense that somehow it’s important, but we’re not really sure what to do with it when we’re seated at Turner Field instead of a church pew. For that matter, we’re not entirely clear on what to do with it in the church pew.
For those of you who are prone to ask “so what?” and have an appreciation for the practical side of the Christian faith, I’d like to borrow heavily from John Piper’s article and explore in detail what it means to drink orange juice to the glory of God. I’ll take the liberty of changing the scenario: how do you throw a dinner party to the glory of God?
For the sake of simplicity I’ll offer my answers in a list:
- God is glorified in the way we purchase and prepare food . If your plans require you to shop for food, recognize that you are not merely a consumer. That the foods we purchase were grown in the earth and provided for us by the labor of others reminds us that we are not at the center of the universe. Everything around us involves someone else. If your plans involve cooking, realize that the act of preparing food for friends is a form of service and ministry. After his resurrection Jesus prepared a breakfast for his disciples after they had been out fishing all night. To see cooking as sacred is to cook to God’s glory.
- When it is time to eat, receive the meal with thanksgiving . This is not simply a matter of saying a “blessing” or “grace” before everyone dives in to whatever has been set before them. A prayer may be spoken, but the glory of God doesn’t demand it. What this means is recognizing that the meal comes as a gift. The food, as mentioned above, comes to us as a gift. For the guests, the meal comes as gift from the hands of others who prepared it. What we’re confronted with at the table is the truth that all of life comes to us as a gift and God is glorified whenever we receive life’s gifts with a thankful heart.
- God is glorified in the relationships that form around the table. Jesus gave his followers a new command – that they love one another as he had loved them. At the table you bring the love and presence of Christ to your friends. Jesus said loving God and neighbor topped the list of God’s commandments to us. What transpires around the table makes the meal an occasion to glorify God.
How will you deal with clients to the glory of God? Surely truthfulness and basic respect are involved. Taking business ethics seriously will do it as well.
How will you take an exam to the glory of God? Maybe that’s about good preparation and your best effort.
How will you drive in Atlanta traffic to the glory of God? Relax, give others drivers a break by being courteous, and refrain from the angry explicative and profane gesture.
How will you parent to the glory of God? Teach your children to know and love God and see your interactions with your child as a mirror reflection of God’s own interactions with us – that includes tender love and tough discipline.
Your turn. What do you have planned today – and how will you do it to the glory of God?
Prayer:
In all I do today, O God, help me to do it well – to the praise of your glory and for the sake of your name. Let the most ordinary tasks and plans bear witness to who you and what you’re like. Amen.
Mark H. Crumpler
Pastor for Teaching and Spiritual Formation
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