Joy in the Everyday

Over the last couple of months I've struggled with the concept of being joyful all the time. It's one thing to do all things for God when you're doing something at church, but what does that look like when I'm washing dishes?

"Be joyful always;
pray continually;
give thanks in all cirecumstances;
for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

While I've been struggling with this I've been reading a great book called "The Vision/The Vow" by Peter Greig. It talks about the experiences in his life during the growth of the 24/7 prayer movement. This quote made me smile and gave me a lot of peace, so I thought I'd share it:

"It's exhilarating to imagine the possibilities: the thought that when I light a fire on a winter's evening and the smell of wood smoke fills the house, in this simple celebratory act of life, I somehow glorify God. The thought that, when I slowly eat a bar of my favorite chocolate marzipan (as I very rarely do), or when I lose myself for a day in the wilds of the Scottish mountains, I glorify God by being for those moment fully alive. It's wonderful to think that, when I get in line at the record store clutching some new CD so tightly that I leave little circles of heat on the pristine jewel case, in these very moments of anticipation, I delight God's heart the way my own kids delight me as they excitedly await an imminent surprise. It's amazing to think that, when I lose myself in worship or find myself in the Bible, or laugh with friends until tears run down my cheeks, I glorify the God who in the beginning made life good."

What an amazing thought - that being fully alive is an act of worship to God. In things I do in everyday life I can infuse them with joy. Most of all, that eating chocolate can glorify God. Now there's something I can get behind!