*Retroactive* Thoughtful Thursday--Exceptionally Ordinary

"Discipleship is built entirely on the supernatural grace of God. Walking on the water is easy to impulsive pluck, but walking on dry land as a disciple of Jesus Christ is a different thing. Peter walked on the water to go to Jesus, but he followed Him afar off on the land. We do not need the grace of God to stand crises. Human nature and pride are sufficient, we can face the strain magnificently; but it does require the supernatural grace of God to live twenty-four hours in every day as a saint, to go through drudgery as a disciple, to live an ordinary, unobserved, ignored existence as a disciple of Jesus. It is inbred in us that we have to do exceptional things for God; but we have not. We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things, to be holy in mean streets, among mean people, and this is not learned in five minutes."

This quote is from "My utmost for His highest" October 21st.

Each year when mom comes to it, she reads it aloud to us. Sometimes she evens goes to it when it's not October 21st. It really is very true. I think almost all of us feel that need to be doing huge things for God. That often comes out of a heart so full of thankfulness for what He has done for us. But sometimes, it can just be the pressure to perform. The need to outdo someone. The way we've been taught.

Doing something big for God is not what is set forth in scripture. No. Instead, a lot of the stories in scripture tell about God using small people who are doing small things to bring about His will. 

Don't get me wrong though. There are plenty of people doing big things too. I just want to make the point that obedience is what God desires.

"For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are." 1 Corinthians 1:26-28

"Saul was rejected as king because he failed to utterly destroy the Amalekites, instead choosing to keep the best of the best for himself and to sacrifice to God. But God didn't want his sacrifice, he wanted obedience." 1 Samuel 15:22

This is especially applicable to Home-makers, Stay-at-home moms, or even Stay-at-home daughters. Or as Jasmine Baucham calls them, Home-girls ; )

A lot of people consider home-making to be ordinary, ignored, unobserved drudgery. But since we see in Scripture that it is not necessarily feeding all the world's hungry, ending the infanticide we call abortion, or bringing peace to the Middle East, we can understand 'staying home' in a different light. A mother can feed all the hungry in her house. A mother can choose to raise the children God gives her and do it well. And she can bring peace into the home.

When a mother is changing diapers and wiping noses, she is making sure her child grows up healthy and happy. When she cleans up the kitchen only to dirty it up again, she is fulfilling the call to hospitality and to ministry within the home. When a wife seeks her husbands advice and allows him the final decision, she is honoring him and honoring God. And in each of these things (and many more) she is showing the love of Christ to her family.

When a daughter chooses to pursue further learning at home, instead of leaving the safety of her family, she is choosing to bless her family with her presence and gaining the benefits of continuing to learn in a family atmosphere. When a daughter acknowledges the high-calling of motherhood and chooses to prepare for such a future, she is avoiding all the hardships that being on her own would bring and fulfilling God's plan for woman. When a daughter seeks the wisdom and advice of her parents, she is getting such a head start in life and staying away from many pitfalls other girls on their own might fall into. And like the mother, she has the opportunity to show her family the love of Christ. 

We can do many impressive things, but without sharing Christ's love, we accomplish nothing.

"If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing." 1 Corinthians 13:1-2

If God calls someone to do big things, and He does a lot of the time, then they should do it with all their might, for His glory. And for those of us who live 'small' lives, we should also live for His glory. None of it is wasted if it is done for His glory. That's why He created us.


I humbly ask Him to show me what to do, help me to be obedient, and help me love others as Christ loves us.