Whatever You Do

By Chris Adams

While I often fall short, the verse I try to live my life by is Colossians 3:17: “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (ESV) To me, this has just kind of always summed everything up. He is to be our complete focus, at the forefront of everything we do.

Sure, that’s easy to understand when we’re talking about the things we know every Christian should do: pray, study the Bible, go to church, and serve those around us. But what about in everyday life, those moments when it’s easy to get caught up in our daily routines and forget what we’re called for?

Over the years, I’ve meditated more and more on that verse, in particular the words “whatever you do.” In my previous life, I was a journalist. Yes, I wrote my share of routine articles (government meetings and the like), along with unfortunate ones (fatalities and other tragedies), but my favorites were always those that had a positive impact—either for the person I was writing about or the readers.

One such story involved an elementary school kid named Travis who had a brain tumor. It was more than 20 years ago, but, if I close my eyes, I’m instantly back in his living room interviewing him, his younger brother, and parents. I wish I could say that Travis made a full recovery, but, unfortunately, he died just a few months after the article was published.

I was sad. I still am. Even though many years have passed, I’m still having to wipe my eyes as I write this. That’s partly because I know how much the article—and just me taking time to tell the family’s story—meant to them.

You see, Travis wasn’t scared when I interviewed him. He was just a little boy competing with his brother for the attention of the “newspaper guy.” For his parents, the article allowed them the opportunity to release all of the emotions they had pent up watching their son get sick and knowing the likely inevitable outcome.

The night I interviewed Travis I took a photo of him and his family holding up a quilt that his teachers and fellow students had made for him. I kept that photo in my desk drawer until leaving the newspaper last Fall. I thought I had done so as a reminder of the impact my printed words could have. And, while I think that’s true, as the years have passed, I’ve come to think I kept it there also to remind me what kind of person I should always strive to be.

When Travis’ younger brother graduated from college, I received an invitation from his father. He said that they considered me to be part of the family. While we had only stayed in touch via a few emails here and there, they understood that I was genuinely concerned for them and Travis the night I interviewed them and appreciated that coming across in the article.

That’s what Colossians 3:17 means to me: Living my life in a way that honors Christ, always ready to serve Him in whatever ways He desires, and giving Him thanks for those opportunities.