Faith in Ordinary Life
One of the biggest blessings in my everyday, ordinary life is God’s presence. Faith is not an abstract theological construction but an on-going conversation with God. Faith and life are meant to be intertwined. God is with us as we peel potatoes and as we converse with our neighbors. When we pray as we go God is in small details of our lives. Psalm 15 gives us a glimpse what faith in ordinary life could look like.
God, who gets invited to dinner at your place?
How do we get on your guest list?
“Walk straight,
act right,
tell the truth.
“Don’t hurt your friend,
don’t blame your neighbor;
despise the despicable.
“Keep your word even when it costs you,
make an honest living,
never take a bribe.
“You’ll never get
blacklisted
if you live like this.”
(Psalm 15: 1-5, MSG)
Without God there is no way I could come even close to live that humbly and blamelessly. But that’s exactly the point. If we try to be good on our own we will eventually fail or become arrogant or self-righteous. There is no way we can get to God’s guest list without Jesus living in us and guiding us how to live God’s way.
But when we let the Holy Spirit abide in us and when we continually invite God’s presence into our ordinary lives….sweet, small, precious things start to happen. God’s Word works within us creating openness for sharing God’s love around us. First you might try to explain these everyday miracles away. But the more you practice this prayerful living the more you start seeing divine evidence in your life. Nothing big, nothing major. Just what a nice word -day after day- for a grouchy neighbor can do. Just what praying while socializing with your garden club members can do.
God wants to make us holy as he is holy. When we grow in faith we move into wanting to fully integrate life and faith. It’s not enough to worship on Sundays. We want to experience God’s presence in our everyday lives. That is what God wants, too. God does not exist to be used for our purposes but we exist for God’s purposes. God wants us to serve him by walking straight, acting right, and telling the truth. What it means to each of us ….. how should each of us live our faith in our ordinary lives…only God can answer that.
God deals personally with each of us. There is no one set of rules to be followed that would get us off the hook. God does not want our mindless performances. God wants us. God wants to commune with each of us and individually show us how to live our faith in our ordinary lives. God is to be our companion, our guide, our God. This does take everything but it also gives everything:
The wise counsel God gives when I’m awake
is confirmed by my sleeping heart.
Day and night I’ll stick with God;
I’ve got a good thing going and I’m not letting go.
I’m happy from the inside out,
and from the outside in, I’m firmly formed.
You canceled my ticket to hell—
that’s not my destination!
Now you’ve got my feet on the life path,
all radiant from the shining of your face.
Ever since you took my hand,
I’m on the right way.
(Psalm 16: 7-11, MSG)
Gracious God,
You are God and I am not.
Yet you love me and seek me out!
Come and be my companion!
Change me, live in me,
work through me.
Come and be my everything!
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
Q4U: Does faith change your ordinary life? How well is your life and faith integrated? How do you enjoy God’s presence in your everyday life?
Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you enjoy your life with your heavenly Companion!
Image courtesy of Kyle Reed