The Bible is full of miracles, visions and extraordinary narratives. We follow great leaders and kings in perilous fights and come out victorious. After the New Testament, we have saints and martyrs whose epic accounts have inspired generations of Christians.
But what about the ordinary, run-of-the-mill good people who don’t part the Red Sea or take down giants with a rock? Is their work as meaningful as the heroes we read about?
The answer is yes, undoubtedly, yes.
The world runs on ordinary work. Imagine a homecooked meal: the ingredients in your dinner had to be grown and produced, handed over to distributors, transported and shipped to your local grocery store and stocked on the shelves before being purchased and cooked by yourself. The work was not glorious or monumental, but without it, you would have gone hungry.
Perhaps I feel unfulfilled in some of my coursework. Does this mean they aren’t important to my degree? Of course not. Without foundational coursework, I wouldn’t understand more advanced material. It all contributes to an overarching goal, an endgame or a plan God has designed.
So not only does ordinary work keep the world running, but it can also prepare us for whatever God may have in store.
In any work I do, I can offer it to God. I’m not on my own; I have God to rely on for guidance and grace. Through obedience and faith to the Lord, I can be joyful and satisfied through my efforts.
Here are a few things I like to keep in mind when learning to embrace the ordinary:
- I’m seeking God’s approval, not the world’s. — Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV)
- Just because the world may not see the true value in my work, God does and rewards appropriately. — Ephesians 6:7-8 (NIV)
- God created me with my own unique talents, abilities and purpose — I should not compare myself to others. — Romans 12:6-8 (NIV)
- I am capable of anything through God. — Philippians 4:13 (NIV)
- Although I may not see it clearly, hard work pays off in the end. — Galatians 6:9 (NIV)
Most importantly, Jesus tells us, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." (John 6:29 NIV). There is no greater meaning to work than when I do it in the name of Jesus Christ — something I strive to become my ordinary.