“What do you do the other days?”, my neighbor Ben asked me out of the blue this week.

Ben’s an elderly gentleman in our neighborhood who just acquired an electric wheelchair.  His mobility has been severely limited, so it’s been fun to see him zipping up and down the sidewalks recently.

“You mean, other than Sundays?” I replied.

“Right.” He said.

I hear that a lot from people who may not be familiar with church or pastoral work, and I don’t begrudge the question.  If you only see your pastor on Sunday mornings for one hour and fifteen minutes, it’s a natural question.  What does this guy do the other six days of the week?

I went on… “Well, planning sermon series, studying and writing sermons take more time than you’d think. But I also follow up on newcomers, visit or reach out to sick or homebound members and do hospital visits. This past week, we baptized 12 people, so I met with them to hear their salvation stories and make sure they understood the meaning and significance of baptism.  There’re also midweek devotionals, bi-monthly elder meetings, a weekly staff meeting, counseling sessions, pre-marital guidance, worship service planning, and connecting with ministry leaders. We’re organizing upcoming mission trips to Jamaica and Guatemala. And of course, I’m on call for…” My voice trailed off.

I could tell that I had lost him, but he seemed content enough with my answer.  Maybe he was relieved I didn’t say, “I sleep ‘til noon and golf on Tuesdays and Thursdays.”

But like most people, much of what I do each week feels ordinary and mundane.  I file expense reports, attend meetings, sign off on purchases, answer emails, follow up on phone calls, and do a host of administrative tasks. Often these things pile up so that when I’m not preparing a message, I spend the better part of the week slogging through paperwork.  It doesn’t feel particularly spiritual. Sometimes I wonder, am I making a difference? So much of life seems consumed with the ordinary.

Often, pastors and religious systems draw stark lines between activities that are “secular” or “sacred”, ordinary, or holy.  Praying, witnessing, teaching Sunday school, or volunteering at church are “God’s work” and considered spiritual and impactful.  While washing dishes, shuttling kids to soccer practice or going grocery shopping, are second rate, ordinary tasks and less meaningful.  And because so much of our lives are consumed by the “ordinary” we’re left with the nagging feeling that our lives aren’t important to God or making a difference. We form a measuring stick in our head and evaluate our tasks and consequently our worth based on what we do. A mission team, now that’s God’s work; working a construction job, walking the dog, doing homework, or taking kids to swim practice… not so much.

I think that’s a lie.

In God’s eyes, everything is important and can be done for God’s glory. No task is second rate or  unimportant.  There’s no divide between secular and sacred.   Every task is sacred and can be offered to God as an act of worship. Consider what the Bible says:

Colossians 3:17: “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Colossians 3:24-25 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord… It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

1 Corinthians 10:31: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

In God’s economy, the mundane things in life hold the same weight as the extraordinary because all of it can be done for Jesus and in his name. God doesn’t apply a measuring stick, we do. And if everything can bring God glory and be an act of worship, then the ordinary is every bit as important as the so-called extraordinary. So, don’t minimize your contribution to the kingdom of God or marginalize your worth.  Do every task, whether grand or humble, significant or seemingly inconsequential, to  the glory, joy, and praise of God. The lines between the secular and the sacred blur; it’s all sacred.