A couple of weeks ago I was preparing for some time away in Colorado with family. We walked in the spectacular Garden of the Gods (Colorado Springs), drove over the Continental Divide to an amazing home where we were surrounded by the beauty of those towering peaks of the Rockies, where we listened to the bugling of bull elks on a frosty morning; then I returned to the ordinary, gladly! I am blessed and enriched by experiences like that vacation, but real life is found in the ordinary, the dailies. I find tremendous satisfaction in the unremarkable things that fill up the day. The routine need not be deadening, it can be a source of joy, a way to build a life that matters.
In more than 4 decades in pastoral ministry, I never led a
large church, never wrote a book that sold thousands of copies, never preached to
a stadium full of people. But, I aimed to faithfully fill my place in
my community, to be available to people in times of crisis or sorrow, to work diligently to prepare sermons and
Bible lessons that would hopefully nudge those in my care along the way of
following Jesus a step or two. In the ordinary things I was privileged
to serve and touch some lives in ways that will only fully be realized in
Heaven. I mostly found joy in the ordinary, the smile of God in the fact that I
was present in the moment to do His will.
What about you?
Do you create joy in the ordinary days, doing what you are able to do in the circumstances of life in which you find yourself,
OR are you always looking for the BIG moment, just certain that real joy would be yours ‘if only’ some great opportunity was presented to you?
Do you live in the moment or just from holiday to vacation to weekend?
Paul teaches us to find God’s purposes in this day: "So
be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. Make the
most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days. Don’t act
thoughtlessly, but try to understand what the Lord wants you to do."
(Ephesians 5:15-17, NLT) Re-read those
lines. Don’t waste time. Use the ordinary. Be purposeful, not thoughtless. Live
the will of God!
Our greatest service to others (and the Lord we love) will
likely be accomplished in the very ordinary life we live. We do not have to go
to the far side of the world to do some amazing humanitarian work to please Him.
How do I know? I have read what Jesus said. “But when the Son of Man comes
in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious
throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate
them as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep
at his right hand and the goats at his left.
Then the King will say to those on
the right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you
fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you
invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick,
and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ “Then these
righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you?
Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you
hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or
in prison, and visit you?’
And the King will tell them, ‘I assure you, when
you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing
it to me!’" (Matthew 25:31-40, NLT)
Be present to the opportunities that this day offers to you. Kiss your wife. Engage with your kids. Do your best in your work. Offer a word of encouragement to someone who needs one. Pray for your neighbor and the world. I promise you that the day will end with more joy than if you just exist this Monday, waiting for whatever it is that you think is big or important. Life is made up of ordinary days. Use them wisely.
The word from the Word says "Let us not become weary
in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not
give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people,
especially to those who belong to the family of believers." (Galatians
6:9-10, NIV) Let’s go make a difference
in our little corner of the world!
(Video of this blog at this link)
____________________
We're pilgrims on the journey
Of the narrow road
And those who've gone before us
Line the way
Cheering on the faithful
Encouraging the weary
Their lives a stirring testament
To God's sustaining grace
Surrounded by so great
A cloud of witnesses
Let us run the race
Not only for the prize
But as those who've gone before us
Let us leave to those behind us
The heritage of faithfulness
Passed on through godly lives
Oh may all who come behind us
Find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion
Light their way
May the footprints that we leave
Lead them to believe
And the lives we live
Inspire them to obey (to obey)
(Oh may all who come behind us)
(Find us faithful)
After all our hopes and dreams
Have come and gone
And our children sift through all
We've left behind
May the clues that they discover
And the mem'ries they uncover
Become the light that leads them
To the road we each must find
Find us faithful
Oh may all who come behind us
Find us faithful
Jon Mohr © 1987 Birdwing Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
Jonathan Mark Music (Admin. by Gaither Copyright Management)
CCLI License # 810055
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