# 2026-04-27: God in my Daily Life

##### Introduction

<span class="text Col-3-1">"If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. </span><span class="text Col-3-2" id="bkmrk-set-your-mind-on-thi">Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. </span><span class="text Col-3-3" id="bkmrk-for-you-died%2C-and-yo">For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." (Colossians 3:1-3)</span>

<span class="text Col-3-3">What does it mean to "set your mind on things above?"</span>

- <span class="text Col-3-3">I was talking to someone who said "I wish I could just leave my job and pray all day" - that is NOT what "set your mind on things above" means.</span>
- <span class="text Col-3-3">St Antony, himself, who had gone into the desert and lived in a cave an ascetic life; who lived his life in prayer and fasting and scripture and meditation... got bored. And then the angel appeared to him wearing the monastic garbs and sat and weaved palms into baskets. Then the angel stood up to pray, and then returned to his work. And he kept repeating the process. Then, the angel said to him "Do this, and you will find rest for your soul."</span>

<span class="text Col-3-3">We are living in the world with many responsibilities... work and career, school and education, service, relationship, family.  
</span>

<span class="text Col-3-3">On top of that, I want to have some leisure, some relaxation, I need time for myself.</span>

<span class="text Col-3-3">How do I fit all of this in 24 hours? How do I fit God in with all of this? Even harder, how do I PRIORITIZE God in all of this?</span>

<span class="text Col-3-3"><span class="text Col-3-3">We will look at the day as three different times and three levels...</span></span>

- <span class="text Col-3-3"><span class="text Col-3-3">Time Set Apart for God</span></span>
- <span class="text Col-3-3"><span class="text Col-3-3">Time Offered to God</span></span>
- Time Received from God

##### <span class="text Col-3-3">1 - Routine: Time Set Apart for God</span>

<span class="text Col-3-3">Sometimes I try to do the MINIMUM to calm my conscience... things I've heard in confession... "I pray throughout the day" - GREAT! But what does that mean? Usually it means I don't pray with the Agpeya, I don't pray in the morning, and I don't pray in the evening. But I want to calm my conscience.</span>

<span class="text Col-3-3">But if I am SERIOUS, the attitude will be different.</span>

- <span class="text Col-3-3">"The difference between us and the saints is seriousness." - HHPS</span>
- <span class="text Col-3-3">“What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet." (Matthew 11:7-9) - SERIOUS</span>
- <span class="text Col-3-3">The reality is that there is certain time of day that needs to be SET APART for God.</span>
    - <span class="text Col-3-3">David was a king - many responsibilities... but he said "Seven times every day I will praise Your holy name."</span>
- <span class="text Col-3-3">This is called a Spiritual Canon. Spiritual Rule. Spiritual Law. (</span><span class="text Col-3-3">vs. Spiritual Mood)</span>
    - <span class="text Col-3-3">Structure that you follow in your spiritual life (prayer, Bible, prostration, fasting, etc.)</span>
    - <span class="text Col-3-3">Structure/Discipline in life will extend to the rest of my life</span>
        - <span class="text Col-3-3">7am I will pray the 1st Hour</span>
        - <span class="text Col-3-3">5pm I will read the Scripture</span>
        - <span class="text Col-3-3">7pm I will pray the 12th Hour</span>
        - <span class="text Col-3-3">The rest of the day fills itself around my spiritual canon</span>
    - <span class="text Col-3-3">Imagine a trip to the monastery... 40 days</span>

<span class="text Col-3-3">Components of the Spiritual Canon</span>

1. <span class="text Col-3-3">Accountability Partner</span>
2. <span class="text Col-3-3">Diary</span>
3. <span class="text Col-3-3">Daily</span>
    1. <span class="text Col-3-3">Morning Prayer</span>
    2. <span class="text Col-3-3">Evening Prayer</span>
    3. <span class="text Col-3-3">Prostrations</span>
    4. <span class="text Col-3-3">Scripture Reading</span>
4. <span class="text Col-3-3">Weekly</span>
5. <span class="text Col-3-3">Monthly</span>

##### <span class="text Col-3-3">2 - Faithfulness: God in my responsibilities</span>

1. <span class="text Col-3-3">Work and Career - and not just the day-to-day but navigating a changing career landscape and being a little anxious about what's coming (e.g. AI, larger labor pool, less jobs) and trying to figure out how I will progress or get promoted or achieve my goals.  
      
    </span>
2. School and Education - things I still want to learn - specializations I want to enter - apprenticeships or fellowships or internships I want to participate in
3. Service - serving in the Church; serving my community; volunteering in any organization
4. Relationship - my wife, or my fiancee, or the person I am courting for marriage, my children
5. Family - my parents and my in-laws and my cousins and my siblings and their families

<span class="text Col-3-3">How is success defined? </span>

- <span class="text Col-3-3">Lots of money? </span>
- <span class="text Col-3-3">Happy wife? Happy husband?</span>

<span class="text Col-3-3">Faithfulness</span>

- <span class="text Col-3-3">Being honest in my work - not taking someone else's work as my own; not using AI where it's not appropriate; not trying to do "just the minimum requirements" but going above and beyond; not cheating on my timecard; not cheating in my work from home</span>
- <span class="text Col-3-3">Being honest in my school</span>
- <span class="text Col-3-3">Being honest in my service - doing the best of my ability; not taking shortcuts; not trying to do the "minimum"</span>
- <span class="text Col-3-3">Being honest with my wife - giving her the time that she deserves; giving her the listening ear; giving her love and showing her love and loving her in front of others; not keeping secrets from her; doing my role as a husband to lead her in the spiritual life and being a man saying "let's read the Bible together" - "come and pray with me before we sleep" - "I'll pray for us before this meal."</span>
- <span class="text Col-3-3">Being honest with my husband - not being lazy; not criticizing him in everything he does; being thankful for him and showing him my gratitude; submitting to him - especially when he is leading me in the way of godliness. Imagine a husband who wakes his wife for church and she says no or "I'm gonna sleep a little longer." Respecting him.</span>
- <span class="text Col-3-3">Giving time to my parents; going and helping them when they need it</span>

##### <span class="text Col-3-3">3 - Rest: Sinless Leisure Time</span>

<span class="text Col-3-3">St Anthony story</span>

- <span class="text Col-3-3">Lawful?</span>
- <span class="text Col-3-3">Edifying?</span>
- <span class="text Col-3-3">Controlling?</span>
- <span class="text Col-3-3">Stumbling Block?</span>

<span class="text Col-3-3">Hobbies</span>

<span class="text Col-3-3">Social Time and Hangouts</span>

- <span class="text Col-3-3">Hookah bar?</span>
- <span class="text Col-3-3">Drinks at a restaurant?</span>
- <span class="text Col-3-3">Music and Dance concerts?</span>
- <span class="text Col-3-3">Sin...</span>

<span class="text Col-3-3">Vacation = vacation from God? From Church? Definitely not... </span>

- <span class="text Col-3-3">When I'm traveling, I search in advance for the nearest church and check their schedule</span>
- <span class="text Col-3-3">I'm going to a place that doesn't have a church? Then I'm going from Mon-Fri - not missing Vespers or Liturgy</span>
- When I travel on vacation, I wake up for my spiritual canon every day
- Can you imagine that there are people who go to Egypt and don't attend a single liturgy, or don't visit a monastery? They are going to eat Shawarma and go to the beach and all that 
    - Or go to Egypt and don't fast on Wed and Fri or go during the Apostles Fast and don't fast at all
    - Or go to a Cruise during the Great Fast...
- I'm going to Egypt for 3 weeks but I serve a Sunday School Class 
    - I'm checking on the kids while I'm gone
    - I'm offering to help remotely with an activity or with a homework or a phone call or a follow-up