The Secular is Sacred

“Think about what you did yesterday. What percentage was secular and what percentage was spiritual?”

I’m going to guess you are not going to say, “100 percent spiritual.” In fact, unless you live and work in a church, you are going to have contact with the secular world. 

But the Apostle Paul tells us in several places that we should be 100 percent spiritual.

Read: 

1 Corinthians 10:31:

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18:

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Everything we do should be seen as spiritual.

In the Old Testament, there is no distinction between the sacred and secular world because in the Hebrew worldview, everything was spiritual. No part of their existence was secular without being sacred. 

I think, as Christians today, we need to adopt that mindset. Our response to God should reverberate into every facet of life: at home, at work, in our families, in our communities, and at our churches. All of life is spiritual and sacred for followers of Christ. 

In fact, one of the most sacred experiences I have ever had occurred not in the church pew or even with fellow Christians, but at a Bruce Springsteen concert. As I sang along to Born to Run with a stadium full of fans, I felt the Spirit flowing through us all. Connection. Oneness. God was in that seemingly secular moment. 

We tend to compartmentalize our life. Church in this box. Work in this box. Home life in this box. But God is bigger than our boxes. God lives not only in our church box. But in our work box. In our home box. In our box that we like to keep shut tight because we are ashamed. God is everywhere and because of that we can meet God everywhere. 

So whether you are in traffic, or answering emails, or meeting with clients, or grocery shopping, or washing your face, or listening to your favorite artist, or arguing with your spouse, or watching the nightly news, you can and should be steeped in the sacred. 

So again “Think about what you did yesterday. What percentage was secular and what percentage was spiritual?”

Pray

God,

Teach us to see You not just in the sanctuary, but in the streets, in the workplace, and in the quiet, mundane moments.

Forgive us when we compartmentalize our lives and forget that all ground is holy ground. Open our eyes to recognize Your presence in the face of every colleague, neighbor, and stranger we meet. 

Amen. 

Challenge

Remind yourself throughout your day that what you are doing at that moment is spiritual.