There’s a story that, during the construction of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, the architect, Christopher Wren, visited the job site and stopped to ask a construction worker what he was doing. Not recognizing Wren, the worker straightened up, squared his shoulders, and replied, “I am helping Sir Christopher Wren to build this great cathedral” (Bruce Barton, What Can a Man Believe, pp. 251–252).

No matter how small the thing we are doing, we can find satisfaction in it when we see how it fits into the big picture. In fact, for the big picture to be “great,” the small things need to be done as rightly and as well as the big things. The challenge for each of us is to decide toward what big picture we’re working. 

The ultimate “big picture” is the manifestation of the kingdom of heaven in our lives. This kingdom contains both only good and all good. Everything within it is useful, harmonious, beautiful, capable, and loved, including each of us in our true, spiritual selfhood.