Weekly Devotions for 12/8

Devotion for Dec. 8, 2020

Do your work willingly, as though you were serving the Lord himself, and not just your earthly master. In fact, the Lord Christ is the one you are really serving, and you know that he will reward you. – Colossians 3:23-24 (CEV)

            Our new dog, Lance, has been with us for about three weeks now. We got him from a rescue; he is a one-year-old retriever/border collie mix. We had been on the lookout for a retriever, and initially thought that the retriever was dominant for Lance, but it quickly became clear that his personality is much more that of a border collie. We have also learned that border collies love to work, and quickly get bored if they do not have a job around the house. We had been trying quite hard to figure out what kind of job would work for a border collie in our household, without much success. On Monday, though, Wendolyn and I put a bird feeder in our front yard. It immediately brought many birds, which we have been enjoying watching. It also brought out a steady stream of squirrels. The squirrel-proofing on the feeder is good, so we’ve not had an issue with that; they just collect what the birds spill. The important thing here is that Lance immediately recognized it as his duty to protect our house from being invaded by squirrels. He spends much of the day alertly focused on those critters in our front yard, and has so far been completely successful in preventing any from entering the house.

            As soon as he took on this job that he intuitively recognized as his, Lance became less anxious. His time each day of focused watchfulness helps him throughout the day. It helps organize his day and gives it a routine and purpose. It is not that he needs to do this job in order to have a place in our household (and it is not as if we were in serious danger of having squirrels running rampant in our hallways, as funny of a picture as that is!); rather, he is able to take on this job because he is part of the household.

            In giving advice on prayer, Martin Luther recalled the saying attributed to St. Jerome: “He who works faithfully prays twice.” The point is that the work we do each day is not just about ourselves; it is a way of honoring God. The specifically religious parts of our life – worship, personal prayer time, devotional time – are certainly an important part of our connection to God, but so too are the other times. Luther explained the saying, “This can be said because a believer fears and honors God in his work … Such thoughts and such faith undoubtedly transform his work into prayer and a sacrifice of praise.” In other words, the things we do each day – our jobs, the things we do to maintain our household, the food we eat, for instance – are ways that God’s care for the world is enacted. More than that, having a sense of being engaged and a part of God’s work in the world can help to sooth us and settle our anxiety. It’s not that we need to be doing anything to earn our place in the household; rather, because we are part of God’s household we are able to do our work as a reflection of God’s love. Therefore, whatever we do, as we do it faithfully and to God’s glory, shines forth God’s desire for peace and love in the world in which we live. As such, it becomes part of our daily prayer.