The Beauty of Ordinary Days | Finding God in Everyday Life

“And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.’”  - Luke 9:23 

History is made up of moments. Pretty big, meaningful events that change the course of humanity. Altering the trajectory of what comes next. Something happened; it was important. It was documented somewhere and is now a part of a bigger story. 

We read it, we watch it, we learn about it in school. Maybe it inspires us or scares us or changes us somehow. Maybe we too want to be a part of it in some way or another. But the reality within the confines of our own lives being made up of big sweeping, dramatic, historically documented tales is few and far between. The reality is, most of us are in the midst of ordinary lives. 

And what a beautiful thing that is. 

The true legacy of a life well lived falls in the ordinary days. It’s the everyday that makes up a life. 

In the mundane moments, built around rhythms and routines that feel completely unextraordinary, discipleship begins. Endurance is developed. A deeper level of dependency on The Lord is reached. 

Unloading and reloading the dishwasher for the umpteenth time this week. Laundry that quite literally does not end. Sweeping the same floors, wiping the same countertops, it feels like I’m over here living Groundhog Day. 

So, how is that discipleship? How is that extraordinary? It doesn’t feel great. It’s boring. It feels meaningless, unseen, and unimportant. Insignificant. 

But it’s stewardship. It’s taking care of a blessing — my family. It’s choosing gratitude and joy even when it’s the last thing I feel like doing. It’s meeting someone’s needs, however small. It’s bringing order to chaos, something God loves to be a part of. 

It doesn’t take a mountaintop experience for God to show up in your life. Yeah, concerts, camps, and conferences are cool and can kick-start a revolution. But at some point, you have to go back home. And in going home, you take the revolution with you.

You get to carry the message of the Gospel with you into everyday life because that’s where the people are. That’s where Jesus wants you to be. That’s where He would be if He walked the earth today. That’s where He works best. Look at how Jesus lived; He hung out with people all the time. He actually did life with them, eating in their homes. Which, by the way, back in Bible times, was a HUGE deal.[1]

I’d like to think that if Jesus had a favorite spot in my house, it would be at my kitchen sink, doing dishes. As annoying as it is, it’s in the middle of the chaos of meal prep and cleanup. Which is exactly where He is and where He wants to be. It takes some humility to scrape leftover food off of dishes, a serious amount of love and devotion to put clean dishes away, and attention to detail to load dirty dishes the right way. Jesus is all of those things. He’s at the sink. 

Washing feet in Bible times? Loading the dishwasher? Tomato, tomaato to Jesus. 

Yeah, he preached in public, performed miracles that blew people’s minds, and had a really cool encounter with God on a mountain top. But look what happened next: he walked back down the mountain. He went back to his friends and hung out with people. (Matthew 17:1-13; Mark 9:2-13; Luke 9:28-36)

Because you see, life happens in the valley. Life happens in ordinary moments on ordinary days. 

And it starts with remembering who He is. 

On that awful commute to work, God is with you. 

During the sleepless night with a sick toddler, His grace is sufficient. 

During that disagreement with a spouse or a coworker, His power works best in weakness. 

In the monotony of being a stay-at-home mom, God sees your season and how you are stewarding your family well. 

The hard truth, one that can feel almost disappointing, is that mountain top moments are not meant to withstand or weather the storms we face. That word you got at that conference is only going to sustain you for so long. That peace you experienced at that worship night will only last for so long. Sunday morning services only happen once a week. And how often, by Monday morning, do we feel back to square one spiritually? Well, maybe that’s normal; maybe that’s how God intended it. 

Because showing up in the everyday grind of life, to be with Jesus and learn from Him in those moments, that’s going to be what sustains you. That’s going to be what changes you, heals you from the inside out. 

It continues with getting down on your face before God and leaving your fears, your insecurities, and even your dreams with Him. There’s something to be said about surrender. 

It’s not about giving up; it’s about knowing that your heart — the good, the bad, the ugly — is safe with Him. Jesus can handle it. He’s not afraid of it. He welcomes it. He wants to carry your fears and your shame. In fact, he died for and paid for it with His blood, so technically, if you are in Christ, it belongs with Him anyway. And He wants to hear about your dreams. He wants to hear about what excites you and gets you out of bed in the morning. There’s a strong chance that He’s the one who put that dream there in the first place. 

What matters to you matters to Jesus (so long, of course, it is in accordance with His will). 

Stamina, grit, endurance — is only developed in the everyday. Think about a professional athlete. The discipline that comes from practicing and training well can only be worked out by actually showing up. Putting in the reps. 

And here’s the thing: you don’t have to worry about the results. Your job is to show up with God, talk to Him, and let Him work. Put in the reps. Show up for the workout. Practice trust and dependence. Run in obedience. The fruit of your life will speak for itself. (Romans 5:3-5; Galatians 5:16-26).

The ordinary isn’t keeping you from significance. You’re already in it. Your life already has great meaning because God says it does. Showing up for yourself on an unremarkable day says more about who you are than how you celebrate a remarkable one. It’s easy when it’s easy. But when it’s hard, or when it’s boring, the opportunity you have in those moments to become more like Jesus is where the magic happens. 

Day by day, embrace the presence of God within your routines as an invitation for discipleship. An opportunity to be with Jesus and become more like Him. So lean in, be ready to listen, and let’s get after it. 

Footnotes:

[1] John Mark Comer, Practicing the Way: Be with Jesus. Become like him. Do as he did (New York: WaterBrook, 2024), 128-133.