This week I am learning about the incredible power of the ordinary. The ordinary day. How, and what it should look like, in a biblical sense. Why? Because that consists of an extremely large part of my life, and my ministry. The times I have had the greatest Impact on this race, were seemingly ordinary days, and even part of my ordinary routine. When I learned to be intentional I began to refine it, and even master the ordinary, this is when I started having an impact. Furthermore, this is How I have grown, and matured over the last 5 months, and how I will continue to grow.
This goes all the way back to my training in Barcelona Spain, through a lesson by by an incredible man named Tom Davis. He presented to us the importance of how we choose to go about an ordinary day. This is so because the ordinary routine things you do add up. Just think about how much time you spend in traffic, on facebook, or shopping for clothes and food etc. They taught us about owning our morning, and night time routines. Tom instructed us on being intentional, and disciplined in owning this routine.
You see the ordinary is truly incredible. If disciplined in using it, you can then master great skills, knowledge, and abilities of your heart. You can then truly shape, and evolve the world around you. If you want to change the world, start with your own. It is truly a discipline really, it may seem mundane, and effortless some days. Those are the days you need to look back, and see how far you have come.
In Matthew 5 we are told we are lights, and that who we are, will be what allows others to see God. By the fruits of our labors, others will see God. Because they see God at work through us, an IN us.
Matthew 5:16-In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
you see, by me, just being myself and living a Christian life is actually what allows me to speak into others lives. This is what allows us to change hearts.
However living ordinarily by true Christian standards means allowing God and others to sharpen me. To volunteer to be refined daily by the community around me. This is why the world race demands such a high amount of personal growth. This is why it is a personal spiritual journey. We are called to be ourselves and be lights where we are at. Thus we must constantly be learning who that is and growing in it… glowing brighter. Which means we must be seeking with diligence where we can grow.
The bible talks about iron sharpening iron, and I must say this is an incredibly humbling task. It means lying everything down, problems, struggles, insecurities, strengths, and knowledge before God and my team mates, and allowing them to build into what needs to be built up, and identifying what can be thrown out, and allowing them to plant seeds of hope, grace, and godliness in me. It is an incredibly vulnerable task, but also a beautiful one.
This task of ordinary is no simple task. Making this refining an everyday thing means making intentional time to hear feedback from team members in a group. This allows us to see ourselves through others eyes, It is a constant discipline and something I now highly value. You see it turns out that “ordinary” by Godly standards actually meant a change in my daily routine.
My mornings, and evenings on the race actually look pretty ordinary still though. It’s not everyday I hit the streets to perform miracles and healing’s, or save orphans, or start humanitarian efforts. Those things do happen, but only by the directions and prompting of the lord.
In fact my morning routine looks like this:
5:45 -wake up and go for a 5km jog at the local track.
7:30-7:45 walk home, and pick up breakfast from one of the local shops.
7:45-8:15 make and eat eat breakfast
8:15-9:00(ish) read my bible which includes 1 psalm, 2-3 pages of the old testament and one small portion of the Gospel of Mark
9:00ish-9:30/9:45 Quiet time/ prayer time. this is when I get vision for the day. How does God see today playing out? What is my part in that? How can I build the kingdom today? then a short chat with my Father, where I bring any worries, questions or anxiety’s before him. Then about 15 mins of just listening and being with him being careful to listen to anything he has to say.
It is seemingly ordinary. but isn’t that awesome! I am actually very happy with this morning routine it has taken time, dedication and discipline to get here, and I am still working on it. You see this ordinary routine speaks about where my heart is, what God is doing in my life, and what I am passionate about.
Even some ministry days/ afternoons are normal like this too. It is during times where we are searching for a place to do laundry that we meet a contact, or when we are exhausted from trying our own efforts and stop to get ice cream on a +41 degree day in Greece. It is in the incredibly ordinary times that we meet extraordinary people. I cannot tell you how many times we have gone around searching, and the moment we sit down at a restaurant we meet the person we need. (p.s that is how my team mate found my Russian teacher).
Our days don’t look too much different then that of home, the difference is we have the FREEDOM to make up our own schedule this month. I can make my morning anything I want it to be, so why not make my ordinary my own invention of incredible!? This is actually how I believe God wants us to minster! Out of freedom, and with a ferocious intentionality. Perhaps when we make God our ordinary, then so will all the amazing stories become incredibly ordinary.
We have been placed where we have been placed with intent and purpose. This is God’s will, that wherever we are, we would be his lights. we were made to shine, and glorify his name. So make sure you are at least filled with him before then, and be diligent in growing in it. Watch out for the ordinary, because it is the master of slavery, and the key to mastery.
Remember that the ordinary can be incredible, because through it, we become extraordinary. I would dare you to show me an Olympic athlete who will say otherwise. To end off I would like to leave you with an encouraging scripture, that has kept my eyes on constant growth. I figure the bigger of a light I am, the less room there is for the enemy.
John 1:5 the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
