Many of us crave a job that will change the world, the next adventure that God will take us on, or something different, something out of the ordinary. God is extraordinary, and he certainly works in these ways.
But God is also at work in the ordinary. He works in our ordinary lives to transform us and uses our routines to serve those around us.
Titus 3:14 Has Answers
Titus 3:14 says,
Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order that they may provide for daily necessities and not live unproductive lives.
While it is not bad that many of us want to change the world with our lives and our good works, it is helpful and freeing to notice this verse in Titus where Paul refers to working at an honest job as good work.
In Titus, Paul says that we please God by providing for ourselves, our families, and helping out in our communities. In living out our faith in the ordinary parts of life, we are living out what it means to be a Christian, glorifying God in all that we do.
Where Is God Working in Our Ordinary Lives?
Routines can seem boring, especially the 9 to 5 daily grind.
But when we stop to look for how our daily actions serve the Lord, we can see how routines provide structure for obedience to the Lord.
So, take a moment and look. Where is God working in your daily routine?
He most likely got you to work safely. He gives you the opportunity to encourage your co-workers – to either share Christ with them, or encourage them in their walk with the Lord.
But, at an even more basic level, he has provided work for you to do. And this glorifies him. God is a worker, a creator. He created this world and he tasked us with cultivating it in the cultural mandate, before the Fall.
We image him when we work and lead productive lives. We call people to him by faithfully living out our daily routines, by just doing ordinary work with the purpose of glorifying God.
Serving Others through Our Ordinary Lives
Our jobs allow us to take care of ourselves, our families, and our communities. By obediently using the gifts and talents God has provided us, we are able to provide for ourselves and those around us.
In I Corinthians 12:12-31, Paul talks about the body of the church, and the different roles we each play. In this passage, he is specifically referencing spiritual gifts. However, we can also look through this lens at our other God-given gifts.
I Corinthians 12:19-21 says,
If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you,’ nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”
By stewarding our God-given gifts and talents, we each fulfill our role in God’s plan. We can serve one another, bringing about an interdependent community.
The electrician provides electricity so that you can live, eat, and do work.
The doctor heals you when you’re sick.
The administrative assistant at the local internet company makes her office run more smoothly, so that you can use the internet to do your job, network, or even just relax and watch TV.
We all use our gifts and talents in our ordinary lives, in our routines, and serve the community and the Lord by doing so. These small acts of obedience create an interwoven web of serving one another through the market.
Our Ordinary Actions Won’t Go Unnoticed
As we go about our lives and routines, entering into this interdependent community, you may think your actions go unnoticed.
However, we stand out by faithfully and obediently living into our ordinary lives. When we approach our work with the greater mission of glorifying God, things change.
Our attitudes are more positive, our work is more efficient, our daily lives are more significant, and we feel fulfilled because we are living for Christ. These changes will be noticed by those around you, and this will be a testament to how awesome and important God is to us.
In regards to Titus 3:14, Vernon C. Grounds writes in the Daily Bread devotional,
This reminds me of the response of the astute American statesman Bernard Baruch when asked who he thought was the greatest personality of our age. With great wisdom at age 94 he said: “The fellow who does his job every day. The mother who has children and gets up to get them breakfast, keep them clean, and send them off to school. The fellow who keeps the streets clean…. The unknown soldiers – millions of them.”
While so many of us are searching for the next noteworthy part of our lives, we are missing out on worshiping the Lord in our day-to-day activities.
Sometimes living out the Christian life is to simply live quiet lives of obedience, to embrace our routines, and to glorify God daily in our jobs, relationships, and in the menial day-to-day tasks.
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