Whatsoever Ye Do, Part 3

Today we conclude our meditation on these words of our beloved apostle Paul:

1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

We have observed how comprehensive this commandment is, extending to such ordinary things as eating and drinking. Anything we do is to be done to the glory of God, even things we do for our own maintenance and enjoyment.

Take as another example your job. The following passage makes expressly clear that the service you render to your employer should have as it ultimate aim the glory of God.

Ephesians 6:5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

It is clear from this passage that you should perform your job with the aim of pleasing the Lord Jesus Christ rather than just pleasing your earthly boss. You are ultimately working for Christ and should do your job as unto Him. You ought to perform your job faithfully whether or not your earthly boss is watching you. If your best performance is only when the boss is looking, then you are doing your job with “eyeservice, as menpleasers.” Always bear in mind that the Lord is taking note of what you do, good or bad, whether or not your boss notices. When you do your job heartily as to the Lord, you are doing it to the glory of God.

But what about our pleasures, things we do for our own amusement? Can we engage in these to the glory of God? Take the pleasure of making love to one’s spouse as an example. Satisfying the sexual needs of one’s spouse is a duty of marriage laid down by God Himself.

1 Corinthians 7:3 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

When you are fulfilling a duty given you by God, you can most certainly do it to the glory of God, even though it is bringing you exquisite pleasure.

But what about things like playing cards, fishing, hiking, swimming, taking vacations, watching movies, attending concerts, golfing, bowling, etc.? May these be done to the glory of God? Absolutely, they may! 1 Timothy 6:17 clearly states that it is God “who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.” So long as our pleasures do not overstep any commandment of God, then they may and ought to be received as gifts from God and enjoyed with thanksgiving. But as is the case with eating and drinking, when our pleasures become an end in themselves and we serve them instead of God, then they become a snare. Serving various pleasures was a characteristic of our past before God saved us by His grace.

Titus 3:3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

We must avoid becoming like men in the last days of whom it is written that they shall be “lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:4). Pleasure it like eating and drinking in that it must be engaged in with moderation and temperance. If pleasure is carried to excess, then it will choke the word of God. The same also applies to other pursuits in life.

Luke 8:14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

Anything we do that hinders the effect of God’s word in our lives cannot be done to the glory of God.

I trust this gives you a fair idea of how it is that “whatsoever ye do” may be done to the glory of God. I realize that much of what I have covered in this blog is matter that you have heard and read me expound on numerous occasions. But given the way in which we are bombarded in our modern world by cares and pleasures, it never hurts to be reminded that “whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”