The theme for last night’s Commune service – our weekly emergent worship offering – was “salt and light.”

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus calls us “the salt of the earth” and the “light of the world.” He reminds us to maintain our saltiness and to not succumb to the temptation to hide our light. He calls us to let our light shine before others, so that they may see our good works and give glory to God. (Matthew 5:13-15)

Giving glory to God may not always be a motivating force for our actions. In fact, I hazard a guess that few today would consciously think of giving glory to God when engaged in the mundane tasks of daily life like washing the dishes, driving the kids to school, responding to emails, or enduring yet another work or church meeting.

But imagine for a moment if you decided to do whatever it is you do – no matter how great or menial the task – for the glory of God. How would your attitude or behavior shift? What impact would this have on your expectations for yourself and the goals you set?

A line from the movie Chariots of Fire comes to mind. Rev. J.D. Liddell reminds his son, the brilliant runner Eric Liddell, “Run in God’s name, and let the world stand back in wonder.”

I don’t think doing something for the glory of God means seeking perfection, in the sense of some ultimate attainment. I think some notions of perfection are highly overrated. But what about faithfulness or wholeness? Perhaps joyful fulfillment is a more accurate phrase.

Seeking to do something for the glory of God acknowledges from the outset the gifts with which God has blessed us, irrespective of how insignificant they may seem. It is above all an orientation of praise and thanksgiving, giving credit where credit is due.