Everyday, Mundane Christianity

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

Colossians 3:17-23

It can be easy to think of what you would do in an important or meaningful situation. We know what we would do in the case of some crazy, yet unlikely event. We often look forward to big milestones and life-changing events. Probably a good portion of our dreaming and hoping revolves around future plans, and those plans are not usually ordinary plans, but big plans that we have high hopes for.

If I said something was life-changing, we would all most likely be thinking of something epic and huge. Yet most of the time we spend on this earth will be spent doing ordinary, everyday (even boring) things.

This is also true for Christians. Dedicated Christian young people often have hopes for their future. We have hopes that God will greatly use our lives. We have dreams of where we will go and what we will see accomplished by God through our lives. Christian teenagers in Bible-preaching, Gospel-spreading churches who grow up hearing of the heroes of the faith–teens who are challenged to live for God and make a difference in the world–often have an idea or dream of what they want to do for God someday. It becomes a goal at a very early age.

In fact, one of the greatest fears some dedicated Christians can have is the fear of missing out on a revolutionary, world-changing life. We want our life to count for something. We want to be used by God. We struggle and fight to discern His will for us.

Now there is nothing necessarily wrong with what I just described. In fact, most of it is good and healthy. An issue we face, however, is that most of these goals, dreams, plans, hopes… whatever you want to call them… most of it is in the future. God’s will can sometimes be imagined as simply several large future events or decisions in life. Our service to God is a future ministry position or role. Doing something for God is having great results and a visible impact in some way. One thing we know can’t be God’s will is living an ordinary life.

We forget that God doesn’t only work in big events and with big personalities. God isn’t limited to working in mountaintop victories. God works through common things. God has a will and purpose for you in the common and the mundane. God uses ordinary everyday Christians to carry out His work. God uses Christians who are dedicated, yes. He works through Christians who walk in the Spirit, of course. But God’s work will be done through Christians who glorify God in even the small things of life.

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31

Every mundane thing we do is to be done in service to and for the glory of God. God is glorified in the small things we do. He is glorified in the common things.

Our family duties and relationships are a huge part of our lives. Most of our time and interactions will be with our immediate family. Are we glorifying God in our current relationships? Or are we only dreaming of what would be ideal? Are we glorifying God in our work at our current job? Or do we save that only for “ministry work”? Is the great commission going to be carried out by one massive revival? Or will people be reached day by day a person at a time by faithful, Christians who make witnessing a daily decision to glorify God?

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Galatians 5:22-26

God works through the everyday actions of Spirit-led Christians. How often is the Holy Spirit something we desire to work in us only so we can do big and radical things for God? Yet the result of the Spirit’s work seems to be very everyday, passive things. They almost seem to be boring things. Could it be that God is most glorified, not in our desires to perform for Him, but through His Spirit working through us to make us more like Christ? How often do we value performance or seemingly successful results over the Scripturally defined fruit of the Spirit being lived out in a person’s life? How many ministry disasters could have been avoided if we prioritized the evidence of God’s Spirit over charisma? God’s Spirit won’t lead us against God’s will.

At any given moment, the place where God has you is where He will be most glorified by your obedience. You don’t have to wait for an event, a job, a relationship, an experience, or anything else to serve and glorify God with your life. In fact, you aren’t glorifying God with your life in any area where you are not doing it to the best ability for His glory.

As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

1 Peter 4:10-11