“But you, dear friends, carefully build yourselves up in this most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit, staying right at the center of God’s love, keeping your arms open and outstretched, ready for the mercy our Master, Jesus Christ. This is the unending life, the real life!”
(Jude 20, MSG)
Discipleship is built entirely on the supernatural grace of God. Walking on water is easy to someone with impulsive boldness, but walking on dry land as a disciple of Jesus Christ is something altogether different. Peter walked on the water to go to Jesus, but he “followed Him at a distance” on dry land. We do not need the grace of God to withstand crises – human nature and pride are sufficient for us to face the stress and strain significantly. But it does require the supernatural grace of God to live twenty-four hours of every day as a saint, going through drudgery, and living as ordinary, unnoticed, and ignored existence as a disciple of Jesus. It is ingrained in us that we have to do exceptional things for God – but we do not. We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things of life, and holy on the ordinary streets, among ordinary people – and this is not learned in five minutes.
(from My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers)
Today I am joining … Give Me Grace and Spiritual Sundays and Word of God Speak and Recommendation Saturday .
This is a great quote. So true that it’s easy to see our need of God very obviously in moments of crisis but less so in our day to day lives, though we need him just as much. I love the idea that we should be seeking to be “exceptional in the ordinary things of life.”
I think He is present equally as much in our ordinary day to day lives but we can often miss Him in the common or mundane. We get so used to our routines. As our lives become extraordinary in the ordinary, He shakes us up a bit and our eyes are opened to see Him. Have a blessed Sunday!
Thinking about our friend Brother Lawrence, practicing the presence of God as he scrubbed the pots and pans. Yes, God does meet us faithfully in the ordinary acts of service we perform each day. Thanks for this reminder going into an “ordinary” Monday.
Michele, I thought of the very same person and example 🙂 May you have a blessed Sunday!