It's All Sacred

While sitting at my husband’s Spiritual Direction closing ceremony last week, a comment was spoken that struck me as rather extraordinary. The woman said, “remind people that most things can become sacred by adding the word ‘holy’ in front of the activity”.

Holy resting. 

Holy listening. 

Holy eating. 

Holy playing. 

Holy working. 

Holy researching. 

Holy walking. 

Holy learning. 

Holy teaching. 

Holy writing.

Holy cleaning.

To some people, it might sound silly to think of our everyday activities as holy. To some, it might sound like overly religious chatter. Yet, for others, it might help alleviate pressure or cause us to do our tasks with more intention. Choosing to see how we spend our hours as ‘holy work’ asks us to bring a level of seriousness to our tasks. It’s a reminder that everything we do should be given proper time and attention. Also, it helps to see that there is no need to rush to get through something just to get to a more important task. It is all important and we can see Jesus in all of it if we are looking and listening for him.

No task is too low for Jesus, nor should it be too lowly for us. 

It’s not the act of adding the word ‘holy’ that makes the task holy. If God has asked you to do the task, it is already deemed holy. And if we are doing a task that God hasn’t asked us to do, well then, maybe we shouldn’t be doing it… 

Thinking of doing all my tasks as if they are the holy things that God has asked me to do helps me to slow down. If what I am doing is holy and worshipful to Jesus, then I can take my time and do it right. 

Colossians 3:23 “whatever you do, put your full self into it as you are doing in for the Lord…”

Jeremiah 29:13 “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart.”