seu0812There is nothing tidy about the Christian life, and that goes double if you have a paying job that doesn’t require your body somewhere between 9 and 5. What happens then is that the looks of your day will be a reflection of what you think is important to God. Not in a prefab way but as a running improvisation.

An hour of Bible at dawn is non-negotiable (“I will not neglect your word” Psalm 119:16). An hour of prayer-walking with Spider is also a given (“Devote yourselves to prayer” Colossians 4:2; “physical training is of value” – 1 Timothy 4:8).

You set out to do something toward earning a living, because “if anyone does not provide for his relatives…he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” — 1 Timothy 5:8.

Then the phone rings. It has rung all morning, but you’ve let the answering machine do triage. You look up from your work, remembering that God also wants you to “love your neighbor.”

When “love your neighbor” and “provide for the members of your household” seem to conflict, you may go in a couple of directions — say no to your neighbor and trust that God will provide for her in some other way, or say no to your work and trust that God will provide for you and your family anyway. It’s the germ of faith in the choice that God looks for.

At the end of the day the canvas is messy — with daubs of “Love your neighbor” here, and streaks of “Provide for your relatives” there, and smudges of “Be devoted to prayer” and smears of “I will not neglect your word.” But it’s a mess you made trying to please Him, and He sees that and smiles.