Duty Or Beauty

by Cole Benton Hatchard

-This post is being rated PG for the sake of the reader because I don’t want to be liable for your uneasiness. Also, because I’m a child.-

To be totally honest, I still giggle a little bit when someone mentions the word duty. 

And yes, I’m still 8 years old.

But I just can’t help but think of doing a #2 when that word comes up, and I really don’t think I’m the only one. I was sitting in class the other day wondering why that was. I suppose it’s most likely because, in a sense, that “act” is a duty of ours. It’s not (necessarily) a substantially exciting or moving event, but it’s a daily ritual that most - if not all - of us partake in at least a few times a week. 

To be clear, for those who haven’t caught on, I am talking about poop. 

It’s a thing that comes up every once in awhile that we don’t really think about until we get the inkling and the routine kicks in. We go, do our thing, hopefully wash our hands, and then continue on with the rest of our day, not really thinking of it anymore until next time. 

Unfortunately, for a lot of us, this is our faith.

(I bet you didn’t think I could turn that boat around.)

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Our beliefs - our faith - should be a part of everything we do.

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We wake up, go to school/work/whatever, eat lunch, continue with what we did before lunch, go home, eat again, spend the evening doing our own thing, brush our teeth, and finally go to bed. At some point in there our bowels kick in and shift to “B” for Boogie. Similarly, at some routine point in there, our faith kicks in also. Maybe it’s before we go to bed we say a quick prayer or read a couple verses from the Bible. Maybe it’s before we eat we say grace. Maybe it’s just when we go to church Sunday morning. Whatever it is, it’s just a part of our routine. 

Now, don’t get me wrong: there is NOTHING wrong with any of these. In fact, having it as a part of your routine is great. What I believe is wrong is when it just becomes another “thing” we do. Our faith instinct kicks in and we do our business in order to get on with the rest of our day. It doesn’t seep into any other parts of our lives. (This is where the poop analogy stops. I really hope that doesn’t seep into all other parts of your life.) 

Our beliefs - our faith - should be a part of everything we do. It should be a part of us when we’re at work. It should be a part of us when we’re at school. It should be a part of us even when we’re in the little boy’s/girl’s room. It should be something that is evident in literally everything that we do.

As Christians, we should be Christ-like always. Not sometimes. Not just when we pray. Not just when we read the Bible. Not just at church. Not just in the routine spaces we’ve put in our lives. Always. No, that doesn’t mean you need to be reading your Bible every second of the day. It doesn’t mean that you need to be at church every waking hour. It merely means acting as Jesus did always. Because that’s beautiful.

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Let your faith be beautiful. Don’t let it become just another thing you do - a duty.

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It’s no wonder that some people’s faiths literally stink. Their faith has become pure duty. It’s only about the things that they do. Their faith is dedicated strictly to the moments set aside in their busy lives. Trust me, I’d know; I’ve been like that before. It stinks for me because my beliefs become a set of distinct rules and procedures to follow which only trap me more. It stinks for other people because the lack of joy they witness in my life gets thrust upon them when they interact with me, whether it be by imposing my rules upon them or because of my general negative attitude. Finally, it stinks for God because we keep ourselves from the full relationship He meant for us to experience.

Let your faith be beautiful. Don’t let it become just another thing you do - a duty. Show the people around you what it’s like to live as Christ did. Show your peers, your friends, your family how amazing it is to live a life to our full potential - the potential that God gave us to live. Show God how much you love Him by giving that potential right back to Him as you serve as Christ did: through love. Be the beautiful human being God made you to be. You are beautiful. God’s love for you is beautiful. God’s plan for you is beautiful. So show everyone. Don’t let it just become one “nice” aspect of your day.

And if your faith is going to be poo- anything, at least let it be potpourri.