A Benefit in Ordinary Days

The ordinary seems to appear in everyone's life. Aiming to get to the next level of a career or hobby may seem at first to be extraordinary and that it will change things. But that new, higher level starts to feel ordinary the longer we are there or the more we meet people who have been there. Being at that next level doesn't change who we are.

The good part of admitting we are ordinary is that we know God loves us not because of our works or exceptional things we do, but just because we are his. It's not us. He is the extraordinary one. The less we have to brag about, the more we know it's really God and not us that brings our worth and love from God.

That doesn't mean we don't try to do extraordinary things at times. God is working with us through the Holy Spirit, so we have the capability to do good that might fit in that category.

And our love for God, and his love for us, prompts us to want to do what he wants for us and for his glory—sometimes that could fit into that category of extraordinary too. Just like if we love someone, we feel compelled to do what will benefit them.

A push to always be or do the extraordinary can be hard, though, on anyone, since it's not possible to do all the time or even much at all. Some people may think that aiming to do that all the time is what God wants. But God wants us to rest and to also trust that where we are is where he wants us since he directs all of life. He has put us where we are in life, and it may seem ordinary, but one thing he wants most is for us to love him and our neighbors. Maybe the ordinary is a good place to do that. Love is often shown in being consistent.

Benefit of Seeing God's Hand in Life

A lot of us go through many hard times. The bible says that God uses hard times to help people grow.

A lot of people feel as if this is in some sense terrible. I actually find it very comforting.

Suffering is normal in this fallen world. It is far more difficult when we are suffering and we can see no point in it.

Sometimes when we see a point in the suffering (maybe it is as small as a lesson learned or a bad habit fixed) then there becomes something of meaning happen.

This does not make suffering fun, but seeing that God is using things brings purpose to life. And suffering that has purpose is easier to stand than suffering with no purpose.

For a Christian God claims he works all things for their good. So there is always purpose in suffering although it may be impossible for us to see.

At times it may seem impossible that God could work good out of certain events, but by faith we can trust that God is faithful to his promises even when we cannot see how he is doing so.