A typical day for most of us from the time we wake up to the time we fall asleep again, will involve saying something or doing something.
All through out the day, if you are to keep count of the things you say and do, you would be amazed. How much you had to say, not only vocally but also in your inner dialogue with yourself and also the sheer amount of work you get done, some of which you probably had no Idea how to accomplish in the first place but all the same you did it.
It is therefore inevitable that, naturally, on a typical day, you will be involved in Word and or deed. Right?
But how much of the word and or deed were about laying treasures? How much was seed? Was it edifying? Did it encourage? Who was the center of attention? You do the maths.
Very well then, our great Apostle, St. Paul made mention of word & deed in His Epistle to the Colosians: "And whatever ye do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him" Colosians 3:17
Theophan the Recluse wrote some very insightful things about this verse in the book: the Art of Prayer. It blessed my soul so much that I will lend the rest of this article to what he had to say. It is very profound and I am very sure it will bless you as well.
Concerning the above scripture: Col 3:17, this is what Theophan had to say:
"Here St. Paul speaks of the third way whereby we prove that our hidden abode is in God-and that is by doing everything in the Name of the Lord.
As for the other two methods, by means of the first-the reading of Holy scripture and the assimilation of the revealed truths which it contains - We banish vain and unclean imaginings and fill our minds with good thoughts, wholly concerned with things divine; and by means of the second - prayer - we establish in ourselves the habit of remembering God always and walking continually in His presence.
Both these methods keep our attention and feeling absorbed in God. it seems, perhaps, that this should be enough? it seems so, but it is not.
If these two methods alone are used they will not lead us to the aim which we desire. Man is not only thought and feeling, but above all action. He is ever moving constantly active.
But every action involves attention and feeling. The man acts entirely wrapped in his action. Consequently, the man who seeks God will find that because of certain things he cannot avoid doing, he will inevitably deviate from God in his thought, and after thought, in his feeling. Occupations bring him down from heaven to earth, or lead him from his seclusion in God into external relationships with other human beings.
For our occupations are almost all visible, since they are carried out among fellow creatures and the things of the senses. It follows from this that, if man's occupations are not so directed as to enable him to keep his life secluded in God, the first two methods will remain fruitless and it will even become impossible for him to practise them as he should.
........And so Apostle in the passage which we quoted, teaches us how to turn our actions into a means of preserving our secret life in God: this can be achieved by 'doing all in the Name of the Lord'.
If we succeed in attuning ourselves in this way, we shall not withdraw from the Lord either in thought or feeling. For to do all in the Name of the Lord means doing everything to His glory, in the desire to please Him, having understood His will correctly even in some trivial matter. In this the members of the body, like tools will do the work; and thought and feeling will be turned towards the Lord, anxious to carry out their task in a manner pleasing to God and obedient to His glory.
........,when our action is sanctified by it's dedication to god, then in the process of doing it, a certain divine element enters into all the organs and powers which take part at work. The greater the number of such deeds, the more are the divine elements entering the being of man. And later they feel him completely so that his whole nature is immersed in the divine, and abides in God.
Gradually as these God-ward orientation is established, prayer and worship of God, accompanied by thoughts of what is good, become more firmly established too.
Prayer and worship influence the work being done for the glory of God; and because we are abiding in the divine, as a reward our deeds themselves are endowed with greater strength and effectiveness.
All our activities, St. Paul embraced in two terms: Word and Deed. Words are uttered by the mouth, deeds are performed by other members( of our body).
From the moment of waking up to the moment of falling asleep we are continually engaged in both.
Our speech flows almost without stopping, while the various movements of the body continue unceasingly. What a rich offering to God if all of this could be directed to His glory! By making our speech serve the glory of God not only is evil speaking banished but also vain or idle talk, and only one kind of speech remains - that which serves to edify our brethren or at least (to put it at its lowest) does not bring any harm.
We should also consecrate our speech to God by reciting prayers.
Furthermore, by turning our deeds to the glory of God, no only can we rid ourselves of evil deeds done from lust or irritation - such things should be not so much as thought of among Christians - but we are also enabled to see in what spirit we should perform such deeds as are permissible, necessary, and useful.
This rids our actions of all pandering to self and all servitude to the world and its evil ways.
To do everything in the Name of the Lord means to turn all to His glory, to try to perform everything in such a way as to please Him, conscious that it is His will.
It means also to surround every deed by prayer to Him; to begin it with prayer and to end it with prayer; as we begin, to ask His blessing; as we proceed, to beg His help; and as we finish, to give thanks for accomplishing His Work in us and through us.
Blessed be the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ forevermore.
Peace & Love,
Libs
