I love being sick…said no one ever. Unfortunately this has been the case for me now for about a week now. Something about this West Texas air just does not agree with my lung stability. And I have found that when I am sick, I really just don’t care about the tasks on my to-do list as much. In fact, the only thing that concerns me about the tasks on this list is that they become to-done as soon as possible. I guess it is safe to say that in the midst of not feeling well, I am content to produce mediocre work.

Mediocre is defined by Miriam-Webster’s as, “of moderate or low quality, value, ability, or performance”. And that’s just the result that I tend to give when I am running a fever, hanging onto a severe cough or have any other malady. But for me, and perhaps for some others, we have become content to do this when we feel fine as well. How many of us have found ourselves saying, “When will this day be over?” or “I can’t wait to be done with today?”. And granted, there are days when this could or should be the case, but most days? In his first letter to the church in Corinth the apostle Paul is engaging the Corinthians regarding their actions and the effects they have on others. The question before them is whether or not eating food sacrificed to idols has any effect on their Christian witness. Paul’s response is this, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.” – 1 Corinthians 10:31-33.

When I was in high school I worked in the summers for my dad. For those of you who don’t know, my father is a brick mason and so this wasn’t necessarily easy work. But I found myself working extra hard when I knew my dad was watching and perhaps slacking off a bit when his eyes were directed elsewhere. I think sometimes we find ourselves taking this same approach to life, but the truth is, someone is always watching. The way in which we engage with our day to day tasks is always being measured by someone. Can we truly say that we do everything we do in life to “the glory of God” or are we sometimes just content to be mediocre in our approach to life. I have found, recently that observant eyes and ears are always following me, particularly with a 5-yr-old in my house. Evidently she loves music as much as I do and recently I heard her walking around singing, “This is gonna be the best day of my life” from the song by American Authors by the same title. And maybe that little reminder is what we need to approach each task without seeking to just get it done, but realizing that each day has boundless potential for us to give glory to God and possibly effect the lives of those watching us.