Declaring

Tonight, I flossed my teeth to the glory of God. I also cleaned my bathroom, did my laundry, organized my desk and learned about the moon. All to the glory of God.

Before I continue, I would like to acknowledge how insane I sound/am... insanity acknowledged... moving on.

Here's my point, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." Psalm 19:1

Now you may be asking, what does declaring the glory of God have to do with plaque and messy rooms? Simply, everything. Stay with me, and I will get you there.

I have had the privilege of getting to go through the series The Truth Project at a young adults group led by a friend. I've watched the videos before, but for those of you who have seen them, you know that they are worth watching over and over again. Tonight's lesson was on Science. I won't go into all of the particulars about the lesson because I really cannot recall of the information I learned...

But here are some things I am understanding and have changed me forever,

Science is a tool through which we can worship. All of the discovery we have made on this earth points to God, and his greatness. From the tiniest atom, to the farthest reaches of the universe. All of this information points to God's infinite greatness and creativity. His vastness, and yet his closeness. Science, the discovery of truth is really the discovery of God. Because of these discoveries, we draw closer to Him. And that's worship.

Worship isn't just music on a Sunday morning. Worship used to seem so simple. Music. Standing in a church, reading words from the screen while someone who can hold a note sings it louder than everyone else so we don't feel self-conscious. But really, what is the heart of worship? It's the discovery of God and his heart. It's thanking Him, knowing Him, praising Him. Whatever. The word isn't important, it's a means by which we draw closer to God.

Science can do the same thing. Studying the moon and the lunar eclipses is a means of worship. It reminds us (well maybe not all of us, but it certainly reminds me) of how amazing God is. And because of that we can draw closer to him.

God not only made us to worship him, he also gave us literally thousands of ways to do that! In his creation we have so many ways to worship him. Anything can be used to worship him. Learning, singing, breathing, laughing, jumping, loving, running, etc.

Caring is a form of worship. For me, the thing that points me toward God is the beauty of his creation. Mountains, trees, rivers. Just picture something painted by Bob Ross. That's one of my greatest reminders of my Creator. He created me, and all the things around me. I'm big on creation care, not because it's relevant, I don't enjoy it when people tell me I'm too green for my own good. Creation care is one of the ways that I know how to worship God best. I love God, by loving and taking care of what he's made (although I don't always do a great job of this.)

Now here's where floss comes in. I am God's creation. He made me, he made the hairs on my head, the teeth in my mouth. So when I care for those things, I can actually be showing God that I care for Him. Tonight, I flossed my teeth, I took care of them, to God's glory. Showing him that I am so in love with Him, that I want to take care of myself, because I know that He cares too. Tonight, I cleaned my room, because I wanted to show God that I'm done neglecting my laziness. I'm not saying that good dental hygiene and a clutter free room is going to get me a better house in Heaven. It's not even about that. It's about showing my Creator that I care, that I'm thankful, that I want to take care of that which I am so privileged to have, because I have the means to do it.

It's like music, God doesn't need us to sing in order for us to worship, but we have it and we can use it for just that. So let's!

But don't get me wrong, I understand that these things are small and in the grand scheme of things cavities don't matter very much. But taking care of myself is important to God. The caring of my spirit; making sure that I am staying connected with God, that I'm in the word and making Him a priority. The caring of my mind; learning, growing, teaching. The caring of my body; eating well, exercising, resting. The general caring of my life; this means yes, taking some time to clean my room (which is really a metaphor for taking care of your responsibilities. I hope you caught that.)

So take the time to take care of yourself, not because you just want to look good or because you like the way your sheets smell after you give them a quick Febreeze bath. Even though there's nothing wrong with that. Take care of yourself because your Creator cares for you and he's given you the tools needed to worship him in everything you do. Even fighting cavities.

"The heavens declare the glory of God,"
And so do you.