A Spiritual Life In The Ordinary
Some Christians may want to find a way to be super-spiritual because of the belief that striving for “spirituality” will please our Heavenly Father. It won’t!
Could it be that some think growing in spirituality will make us more important than the “less spiritual”? Some seeking deep spirituality have even gone so far as to isolate themselves into a monastic or cloistered life. Some have given up all earthly possessions, some have become celibate, and some have even vowed to live in solitude or in segregated communal living.
Isolating ourselves could not be farther from the Father’s plans for most, if not all of His children. The most spiritual thing you could do today might be playing with your kids, cleaning the bathroom, or taking over doing the dishes while your spouse rests.
Sometimes we need to put down the magnifying glass that we often utilize in the reading of the Word of God, and stop trying to dissect it like a frog in a biology class. Just read it in its simplest and clearest form and then do it!
Lean back and see the practicality and the expansive, beautiful views that the Bible can provide us, whether you are intellectually limited or a genius. It doesn’t matter whether you are reading the Old or New Testament. The Scriptures are primarily there to help us live properly in our everyday lives. God made us physical beings, and most of His instruction, guidance, and commands apply to how we live our physical lives on this physical planet.
“…do not compartmentalize your life into spiritual and “non-spiritual.”
Ted Dean, The Fulfilled Marriage: The Three Doors
Yes, heaven will come later, and we may there be provided a new manual for living but until then, the Bible is our manual for everyday life! Living with this understanding allows us to bring God into the myriad everyday routine and mundane responsibilities and toils that require our time and effort daily.
Do we somehow think that God gives us a bonus or higher marks on our heavenly report cards for doing “Christian Things”? No, He is interested in you – and in your becoming more and more like Him every moment of every day. Actually, I think He is especially interested in how you are accomplishing this on the home front with your spouse and family!
“So, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
1 Corinthians 10:31, New International Version (NIV)
What God is looking for is goodness in us – genuine character-centered love, kindness, gentleness, and the living of every ordinary moment in such a way that it glorifies Him. God does not leave us to our own devices to fulfill our life’s mission of becoming like our Savior. To accomplish this, Father has sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in us and give us all that we need to live life well.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23, NIV
God bless and keep you,
Ted and Esther
Authors’ note: We highly recommend that every Christian read Andrew Murray’s Christian classic, Absolute Surrender, quoted in the illustration above, and available from Amazon.
