Secular: “Of or pertaining to worldly things or to things that are not regarded as religious, spiritual, or sacred.” That’s dictionary.com’s definition of this misunderstood word, almost as badly molested as its supposed counterpart, spiritual. But God’s Word never separates the spiritual from the secular.

Everything we do is a spiritual decision, reflecting how we view our Creator—even the most physical actions like scratching a wart (probably not a good idea), tearing a page, or cracking an egg.

Christ said, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness” (Matt 6:33). How does a mom with ten billion items on her to-do list seek God first? How does a college student with eighteen credits on his shoulders and a part time job pursue God’s righteousness first? How on earth can a contractor with a sixty hour work week seek God’s kingdom above all other things? Isn’t this command impossible since the majority of his day is physical work for physical money to buy physical food and pay physical (and painful) bills? At the heart of these rhetorical questions grins the unguarded assumption that if something is physical or non church-related, it’s not spiritual. Welcome to the phantom. That’s as much a myth as flying porcupines.

Perhaps the best way to tackle this problem is by asking a question: How did Christ apply His own command? After all, He worked a secular job for at least eighteen years (age twelve was when most Jewish boys started going to work with their dads), and no doubt those were not little eight-hour work days, as He provided for His mother, brothers, and sisters after the assumed passing away of Joseph His father. How did Christ seek God’s righteousness while shaving a timber or driving pounding a spike (an ironic thought indeed, for if anyone knew the art of driving nails—both on the receiving and giving end, He did)?

Simple: by working for the glory of God. Everything Christ did was ultimately for the Father. Christ said, "I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 5:30). God calls you and me to do the same. Paul said, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men” (Col 3:23). Reality says that the vast majority of believers will spend seventy-five percent of their lives working a secular job and sleeping.¹ Clearly, when Christ delivered the command to seek God’s kingdom and righteousness first, He did not mean for every believer to leave his job, sell his possessions, and spend the rest of his days in volunteer ministry. Your secular work is not secular any more than your soul is physical. The point is this: seek God in all that you do. Seek God through brushing your teeth to take care of His temple, through working hard to be a good steward of His mammon, through taking your spouse on dates to honor your marriage.

I’ve talked to some Christians who interpret Matthew 6:33 to mean we must spend the first part of our day with God, and then the rest doing other things. But think about that. Seek God first by reading the Bible and praying for the first twenty minutes of your day and then spending the remaining twenty-three hours and forty minutes doing secular stuff? If that was true Christianity, the church would win awards for hypocrisy. Yes, we must read the Word and pray, but that is not our only time with God. God goes with you no matter what you do or where you go, and the question is this: do you honor Him in all that you do? Is His glory and righteousness your chief motive in every thought, word, and action?

Like ripping nails from a finger, we have tried to separate the spiritual from the secular and this is deadly. For when this happens, our secular actions become so-called “neutral” and we vaporize accountability to honor God in every sliver of our life (1 Cor 10:31). Yes, you can seek God first while running on a treadmill or locking up a building. You can seek Him first while changing a diaper or writing a letter.

I encourage you today to do your best to honor Him in the tasks He’s giving you, whether it be passing an offering plate or closing a business deal. God promises to take care of your physical needs if you will put Him first in everything.

Endnotes

1. This is based on 10 hours of work and 8 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period.