Who He Is

“God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. It doesn't matter who we are. It matters who He is.” (Christine Caine)

I have looked for You in the mountains
Waited for the ground to shake
I've searched the sky for something amazing
Remind me there's another way
Just as marvelous
Still miraculous
 
Chorus

I see You in the ordinary
Every breath I breathe
In my own heart beat
I know You're always right here with me
Nothing is mundane
Your glory is displayed 
In a million ways
In the ordinary
You make my days 
Extraordinary 
In the ordinary
 
In the sunrise that wakes the morning
Or watching as the seasons change
In a heart to heart conversation
And joy that can't be contained
Oh, it's marvelous
So miraculous
 
Chorus

 I want to see You
I want to know You
I want to find You in every moment
Your presence 
Is present
I believe it 
In every moment
 
Chorus[i]

Almost everyone’s life is quite ordinary. You rise in the morning, go about your business (whatever that might be), and the world doesn’t pay you any attention at all (outside your circle of influence). The days, weeks, months and years usually have a rhythm of normalcy as we age (with exceptions of course). There is some comfort to be gained from the knowledge that today and tomorrow will be the similar.

How do we find God in the everyday things that we do, or can we? Is God present in everything or only in those things that we would traditionally call divine? Paul reminds us to pray constantly, and by doing so we sanctify the ordinary. Make your life a prayer. And in the midst of everything be always giving thanks, for this is God’s perfect plan for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18, TPT) Part of the process is to begin to see everything as being interconnected. God created all that we see and continually renews His creation. The tree is connected to the soil and so on, but we also need to see how we, humanity, fit into this equation. We have an obligation to care for this creation, and in order to do this we must be able to see the Creator in His creation.

Finding God in the everyday things of life is for people who live in the everyday world. That could be spouses, children, employees, students, or missionaries. If you do your work to the glory of God, then it becomes holy, and the ordinary becomes sanctified. You are of value to God since you are created in the image and likeness of Him and the kingdom of Heaven. Realize that everyone else has been created in the image and likeness of God and is of value no matter what their place in life is. They too are children of God the same as you.

The spiritual life is not that difficult. We make it difficult. All we need do is to look at the ordinary in our lives, and see how we can make this an gift to God. How does our work influence the world around us and how does the world influence each of us? If we look closely we will be able to find God in the ordinary of our lives. Since God is in each one of us, we just might be looking at Him each day (in the face of others). There are times when life does feel ordinary. God can use even these moments to never stop working His best in us. Below are three ways that happens:

God is providing you rest in the ordinary-Can you picture how exhausting life would be if each day meant another extraordinary task to accomplish? Your human body would break down swiftly. There is a time and place for rest. Ordinary enables you to catch your breath, and to enjoy all God has accomplished in and for you. Ordinary allow you to de-stress and enjoy delightful moments of quiet. Do you find joy in these ordinary moments?

God has given you this time as a gift, and you must not waste it. It’s when you make hurried plans for the future, wish your life was more exciting, or when you fear you’ve settled into a place of not being used by God. Are you willing to place down your own worry and discontentment in order to find rest in God? Recognize how God uses your ordinary, and glorify Him in the midst of it all. When He calls you into service, may you be ready to show yourself exceptional in the ordinary.

God prepares you for something greater in the ordinary-It’s easy to get caught up in the mindset that all you do needs to bring about exceptional, immediate results. Being exceptional in the ordinary things is not learned in five minutes. When we look at our lives and think “ordinary, mundane, or routine,” could it be God is actually preparing us for something greater?

God is equipping you with all we need to do His will. So when you pass through a period of time that bring about no excitement or change, may you remember that God is working in you what is pleasing to Him. God has not forgotten about us. Imagine what would happen in our hearts and lives if we took time to ask your heavenly Father what He’s teaching you while you wait.

God reveals His glory in the ordinary-Not every glimpse of God is an emotional high. Sometimes, our heavenly Father desires you to see Him at work in the quiet moments. This reminds us that He is humble and gentle. When Jesus clothed Himself in flesh and lived as man for three decades, He didn’t live an exceptionally exciting life before His ministry began.

He lived the simple life of a carpenter’s son. Jesus humility points us to the truth that God doesn’t look with disdain on times when we live peacefully or are simply facing each day as it comes. It points to the truth that God desires to reveal Himself in all aspects of our ordinary lives.

 “Sometimes God presents opportunities that look insignificant or rather ordinary. Perhaps you don't see how they fit into the big picture for your life, but if God is asking you to do something. He has a purpose for it.” (Victoria Osteen) [ii]

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[i] The song, “Ordinary” by Hannah Kerr

 

[ii] Sources used:

·     “Finding God in the Ordinary” by Peter-Michael Preble

·        “Three ways God uses your ordinary” by To Unearth