With an Eye Single to His Glory

There are moments each Christmas season when men perhaps walk together in thought “with an eye single to the glory of God”:

when families festoon Christmas trees, remembering the star at the top, like the wise men’s star to point the way to Jesus;

when a child fashions a small creche in a cup, or a young daughter arranges the nativity scene on the mantle;

when, thinking of the Father’s supreme gift, we share small presents with one another, exchange cakes and cookies, books and boutonnieres to express the brotherly kindness exemplified in the Christmas season;

when we take the stranger in;

when we share the warmth of our hearth and home;

when we recall with grave thoughts the coldness of a world that said “No room tonight.”

Perhaps for this brief time men work together in unity.

Then the season ends and our eyes turn to the daily pursuits of life, and the glory of the kingdom takes second place in our lives once more.

And we go about our work.

But is not every work His work?

And should not all eyes turned to whatever work we do be single to His glory?

Should not the light of His presence fill our hearts and guide our thoughts and mark our conduct at all times, whether as teacher or clerk, as doctor or lawyer, as parent or child?

If this were so, we would keep his commandments not from fear of punishment, not from concern over status or image among fellow workers, not from desire of blessings to self or for personal gratification, but for his glory.

Keeping an eye single to the glory of God means forgetting self in a deep regard for one’s neighbor’s needs, or problems, or sorrows.

It means having a vision of the infinite purpose of His work on our earth and the total value of each fellow traveler on life’s way.

It means realizing that our behavior has an impact on all those who journey with us and adds or detracts in their lives from His glory.

It means that we bring our behavior in line with the life of Jesus Christ.

Beginning each day with an eye single to the glory of God would be like awakening each morning with a childlike expectancy of Christmas to good things in and from and about everyone.

As men walk in His light more readily, so the love pulse of all people expands at Christmastime. Love is the simple day-by-day ingredient of the Christ’s pattern.

In His teachings He asks us to love our enemies, to do good to them that hate us, to turn the other cheek, to go the second mile—not just at Christmastime, but in every day’s thinking and caring and working.

Such a pattern of living in today’s society can be frightening for those who are caught up in fears, frustrations, and anxieties.

Christ’s perfect love repels fear. John reminds us that there is no fear in love, for perfect love casts out fear.

To love completely with a wholeness even as Christ loved, to manifest a mature and unconditional love in all human relations, would minimize many fears.

Thus ordering our lives with an eye single to the glory of God would transfer some of his peace and poise and eternal perspective to us.

Paul’s criteria in chapter 13 of First Corinthians serves as a check to see whether our daily loving of our fellowmen is single unto the Lord, for charity, or love, “suffereth long, and is kind; … envieth not; … vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, … is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; … never faileth.” [1 Cor. 13:4–8]

Such love will qualify us for His work.