So how do you navigate the “everyday”? The “ordinary”? The “routine”? Here’s a thought. Take the life of Abraham. Some incredible things happened to him and through him in his lifetime. He demonstrates his faith in God by leaving his home and traveling to a land he knew nothing about (the land of Canaan…the promised land). He became the father of the nation of Israel (descendants as numerous as the stars). He saved his nephew Lot from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. His obedience to God was a clear picture of the salvation of God by his willingness to sacrifice his son (which he didn’t…God provided a lamb). If you would compress all the recorded events in his life, you only have a few months separated by quite a bit of time. What happened between those recorded events? We don’t know, but I believe his life was probably filled with “routine obedience.” Maybe something like this: Get up in the morning. Acknowledge God, his source of blessing. Declare to God the challenges he’s facing this day. Go about managing his family and family livestock business. Building relationships with his offspring and employees. Loving on his family. Thanking God for the blessings of yet another day. OK, I’m just guessing. But that makes sense to me.
Our lives are not characterized by mountain top experiences every day. They are comprised of several special events and a few defining moments followed mostly by the “average routine of life”. Something like this. Get up. Thank God for His goodness and blessing. Declaring to God the challenges you are facing. Asking God for direction and help. Loving on your family. Managing your family and your work. Putting your head on the pillow at the end of the day thanking God for yet another day.
Don’t necessarily look for the mountaintop miracle…hopefully, they will come from time to time. Instead, embrace the daily routine of life. God is the God of the routine as well as the God of miracles. Ephesians 5:15-16 says, “Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” John Maxwell said, “The secret to your success is found in your daily routine.”