Glorious, Ordinary Life
“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.” Romans 12:1, MSG
One of the craziest things that happened during the year of global pandemic and social distancing is that we were being asked to stop the hustle and bustle of our busy lives and rest. Literally, stay home and don’t go out.
We quickly realized that stopping our going out, playing with friends, rushing to finish homework, etc. meant that we were left with a pretty ordinary, “boring” life. I love how Paul’s words in Romans 12:1 are translated in The Message: with God’s help, that ordinary life can become a beautiful gift to God.
What if we really believed this command and began to see our lives the way Paul does? Could we take our bed making, playing, sleeping, eating, mundane life and use it to worship God? Could we be thankful for it all and turn that thanksgiving into praise and worship? Paul says “embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him.” When we thank God for all He does for us–even the most ordinary provisions–we find that everything we have is a gift.
Here’s what I want us to do: for five days, lets see if we can turn our hearts towards God throughout the day. Maybe that means praying while you make your bed, putting your phone away at meals to really engage with your family, or getting outside in nature for a minute to be still. It’s okay if you forget and get distracted (I do this constantly); just stop, take a breath, and remind yourself of Him again.
Then at the end of the day, before you go to bed, stop and think back on your day. Can you think of three ordinary things you are thankful for from your day? Can you think of five? Ten? Write them down. If you want to share them with us at Camp Greystone, we’d love to see and hear how you are celebrating God meeting you in your beautiful, glorious, ordinary days!