"Do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus"

I have spent a great deal of time in the past few months meditating on a verse of Scripture that seems simple to interpret, but in reality is so difficult to consistently put into practice. In Colossians 3:17, Paul said, "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Simple to interpret, difficult to apply. I think this verse, if lived out in the lives of those who are followers of Christ, has tremendous potential to impact not only our lives but the  lives we touch each day. Maybe the most difficult word in this verse is everything. Does everything really mean everything?

To many, the implications probably make everything more difficult. Maybe it comes down to our understanding of who God is. If our perception of God is of an overbearing taskmaster in the sky just waiting for us to mess things up so we can have another negative check placed beside our name in his scorebook used to keep us in line, then there is a great deal of pressure on us. Maybe you consider everything as packed with pressure and each day we live on this earth is lived under a holy microscope with no room for anything that could be considered to be a frivolous, non-eternity focused activity. I've lived this  way before, but think God is communicating something much more powerful, and even more encouraging in this passage.

Instead of constantly worrying if everything we do is actually meeting God's approval, what if everything we participated in had a higher purpose than just the enjoyment/beneift of the activity itself? I spent alot of time in the past worrying if the things I enjoyed actually "glorified" God. Could things I enjoy...sports, working out, hunting, fishing be activities I could do "in the name of the Lord" or were they just selfish diversions from what God called me to do? What I feel God has revealed to me in this passage is so encouraging I just wanted to share it. Hopefullly I'm not totally off-base.

Is God okay with the time we spend watching/participating in sports, working out, hunting, etc.? I think the answer is in our relationship (or lack of) with Him, and what we perceive our ultimate purpose in life to be. If the energy I put into my workouts is  purely focused on my health, appearance, or even the fear of getting old or fat (maybe the word fatter is more applicable, haha); then I can actually be consumed with working out for temporal, even selfish reasons. Same for sports, hunting, fishing, or anything else. If the joy/benefits derived out of the activity is the ultimate reason I spend my time/energy on it then it is ultimately an activity that will not please God and could even be self-focused and sinful. But, if having a healthy body to more effectively serve God with is the main focus of my fitness goals or if working out, sports, hunting, fishing increase my circle of influence and allows me to be more in tune with the world Christ seeks to reach through me, then I think God's ok with these activites (as long as I don't get too crazy with them and totally neglect my wife's honey-dos at the house, haha).

I don't expect these thoughts to connect with everyone. I'm sure some will say I'm wrong. But, for those of us who've committed our lives to following Christ and matured to a point in our relationship with Him that our service for our Savior is motivated out of a love for Him and a passion to see Him work through us and in the world instead of fear or compulsion, I hope this post resonates.