n our house the rule is, if you make dinner the other person cleans up. I remember one night in particular Sean had had a long day at work, and on top of that, he had mounds of seminary assignments looming over him. After eating the dinner I’d prepared, he said he’d be back down to clean up, but first needed to get some homework done. It was really weighing on him.
The moment he left the room I knew I wanted to surprise him with a spotless kitchen—not out of duty, but out of love. Even though I clean the kitchen most nights (because he cooks most nights, praise God!) this night was different. I was genuinely excited to work through my tasks because I was doing them for him. I turned on some music, bopped around, and happily sang as I went through the often-tedious activities of washing dishes, putting silverware away, and wiping down counters. My heart was so full as he came down the stairs and observed this small act of love.
Have you ever felt so full of gratitude that even an ordinary task became a joyful act? This is what worship looks like when we truly grasp God’s goodness.
Worship isn’t an obligation; it’s a natural response to the overwhelming grace of Jesus. When we reflect on His sacrifice, we want to worship, and we don’t have to wonder, ‘what can I give Him in return?’ —Scripture tells us: Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1).
Lent calls us to surrender, to worship God not just in song, but in how we live—through our work, our relationships, our daily routines. As The Message puts it: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering.
How do we do this? For starters, we rely on Him, and not the world, as our source of strength and wisdom. We do it through prayer, and in community with other believers. More than anything, we can attain a lifestyle of worship by renewing our minds in Scripture. As we hide His Word in our hearts, we align our desires with His and reflect His love in all we do.
In these remaining days of Lent, let’s reframe even the most mundane tasks as acts of love for our Father. May our lives become a joyful sacrifice, a reflection of our gratitude for all He has done.
Pray:
God, you are so, so good. Today I recommit my life as a living sacrifice to you. Help me keep my thoughts fixed on you, and honor you with my words, my attitude, and my actions each day. Let my life reflect your love and the power of your grace to all those you’ve placed around me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
