For God’s Sake
In small and large things alike, all we do should be for the sake of our Lord.
In my book, World Between Worlds: A Novel of the Early Life of Caterina, the Mystic of Siena, I attributed the 14th century text, The Cloud of Unknowing to William Flete, Caterina’s friend and an Augustine monk who lived in a hermitage just outside the walls of Siena. He came from the same area of England as the anonymous author of The Cloud, lived during the time in which the text was composed, and The Cloud mirrors some of Caterina’s teachings, which she could have easily learned from William. In my fiction world, William Flete and The Cloud fit perfectly together.
In truth, we don’t know who wrote The Cloud of Unknowing, but the author doesn’t really matter. Despite it being misrepresented by those with New Age inclinations—such as the founders of Centering Prayer—the book still provides great truths for us to ponder, including a beautiful definition of charity that echoes the Gospels:
For you should understand that Charity means nothing but to love God for Himself above all created beings and to love other human beings equally with your self for God's sake.
This isn't new theology by any means, and I've written about is before many times; yet it's so crucial, so fundamental that I keep returning to it in prayer. The key to that entire sentence is the last bit: for God's sake.
Everything must be done for God's sake. We so often fail to see this as we go about our busy lives, particularly when we're performing mundane tasks. Why must I do the laundry for God's sake? Indeed, that does seem a bit daft. Seriously, does God care whether or not you have an ample supply of clean underwear?
Actually, as odd as it seems, the answer is yes. Yes, God does care about every aspect of our lives, just as a loving parent cares for every aspect of his or her children's lives. What’s critical to remember is that it's not the about the importance of clean laundry, but about performing a task that’s in perfect parallel to God's will.
We need to listen to God’s will in all things, particularly the little things. It's easier to seek prayer for the big issues—Should I get married? Should I buy that house, change jobs, make that investment? When something large looms in our lives, we tend to turn to Someone larger for guidance and assistance. The small things we barely think about—yet we should.
Is it God's will for you to do your laundry right this second, or is it His will that you do something else? In many instances, God does indeed will us to perform our daily tasks, but we should always remember to do so in thanks. How fortunate we are to even have enough clothing to fill the washer! How fortunate we have so much fresh water we barely even think about it! How fortunate that we can afford laundry detergent!
All actions, all tasks, must be performed for God’s sake—in praise of God and the immense blessings He has given us.
Yet there are also those times when it’s God’s will for us to neglect the laundry. Do we listen to those times or are we “too busy”? When our friend calls and asks if we want to go out for coffee, do we say a quick prayer asking God what His will is, and listen quietly for the Holy Spirit to guide us, or do we immediately say no, feeling we’re too busy for such leisurely stuff. We have mountains of laundry to do, and then there’s the grocery shopping …
What we’re not taking into consideration is our friend’s need. Perhaps she wants to go out for coffee merely because she’s bored. Or, perhaps she has something going on in her life and she needs to talk. Perhaps she’s lonely, and needs the physical presence of someone else.
In all things, large and small, we must ask for perfect alignment so our actions match God’s will for us and others, thereby doing everything for God’s sake.
“Keep God before your eyes in whatever you are doing.”
(St. Caterina of Siena, Letter T258, Vol II, 172)
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