“May We Glorify You Through Our Spreadsheets”
Last week as our staff team came back together for the first day of 2018, we had much to celebrate: over 14,000 in attendance at Christmas at DPAC 2017, over $34,000 raised for NeighborHealth Center, and hundreds of decisions made to follow Jesus.
As one of our pastors Chuck Reed led us in a prayer of thanksgiving, he pivoted to what was to come in 2018. He asked for God to continue to lead us. He prayed for the hand of God’s blessing to be upon our congregation. He begged God for the souls of people in our neighborhoods, in our gyms, in our dorms, and in our homes.
And then he prayed a few curious things that caught my attention: “Let us bring you glory through the way we take care of our email. Let us praise you in the way we conduct our lunch meetings. May we glorify you through our spreadsheets.”
As we still adjust to a new year, I think that’s a pretty good prayer to pray. After all, if Paul exhorts us to eat and drink and do whatever we do to the glory of God, then why shouldn’t that translate to our work? Why shouldn’t we worship as we work? Why shouldn’t we make much of God through our Excel formulas and inbox management and meeting agendas?
As I review my calendar for the week, as I stare down those tasks that I put on hold “until things slow down in January,” as I prepare for meetings and gatherings and events, and yes, even as I open a fresh spreadsheet to track some yet-unknown data, I want to do it all to the glory of God. I want to reflect his excellence in all I do. I want to make much of him and not make light of the details of life.
Where are the areas where you can bring God glory?
