I remember learning in health class how much time an average person sleeps, works, drives, eats, watches TV, showers, and cleans. I sat there thinking something along the lines of, “That’s not a lot of time to chill out at a coffee shop with my friends!” It’s easy to get caught in the middle of going through the motions when you look at a survey like that and realize how much of the day you do things over and over and over again. Every day starts to look the same and you begin to wonder what the purpose of it is.

Working with teens, I sense that same kind of frustration. They have to go to school, it’s not their choice, so why try?  I’m not a parent, but from the limited babysitting experience I’ve had in the past, I can only guess that days can be routine and problems seem to repeat themselves and you begin to wonder if you’re making a difference. Then you begin to wonder, if you’re making a difference, is it a positive one?

But then I remember my purpose, your purpose, our purpose - to glorify God. And I love it. Because then everyday has meaning.

If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

1 Peter 4:11 (NIV)

I love thinking about the Fruit of the Spirit as an example of how we should glorify God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:22, 23 (NIV)

Now those are action steps that I can use on a daily basis to glorify my Savior. Whether it is talking with a student while you clean up after an event or making dinner for the family, you can glorify God and have purpose. Or maybe it might be getting the kids ready to go in the car, (which always seems to take 3 times longer than you had originally planned) or just looking for a conversation in the check out line, you can glorify God and have purpose. I’m realizing that putting the fruit of spirit into practice on a daily basis makes it that much more meaningful because you are looking for ways to glorify God which, in turn, blesses people.

I mean, if God talked to Moses when he was shepherding sheep and used a bush to get his attention (Exodus 3) and if He spoke to Mary through a dream about her new role as the Savior’s Mother ( Luke 1:26-38)  then it seems to me that God uses the normal days and nights to get our attention. And I, for one, don’t want to miss out on His plan.

So bring on the week days! I’ve got a God that has a plan that makes even Monday look good.