Ordinary Means for Extraordinary Ends

Ordinary. What comes to your mind when you hear the word “ordinary?” Perhaps you think of something that is normal, run of the mill or just typical. For many, it is a distasteful word when it comes to describing life—who wants an ordinary life? We want to be extraordinary; we wish to assess ourselves like Winston Churchill when he said, "We are all worms, but I do believe that I am a glow-worm.”

Yet the year ahead will likely be made up of a series of very ordinary events, easily forgotten but subtly building towards something extraordinary.  In his book, Ordinary: Sustainable Faith in a Radical, Restless World, Michael Horton tells the story of a man who was passing by a large construction site every day. Finally, the man stopped and asked a few men what they were doing. One worker replied, “Hauling dirt.” Another said, “Cutting stones.” But then a third stood up and said, “I’m building a cathedral.” Most viewed their work as dull routine, while one who could see the extraordinary goal found motivation for the ordinary routines. 

As a Christian, it can also be tempting to exchange the ordinary for the extraordinary, but do not overlook the ordinary means of God’s grace in your life. Do not underestimate the power, value and joy of the daily routine of reading your Bible and praying, casting fears, hopes and anxieties upon the Lord! 

For those who are married and wish for an extraordinary marriage, do not overlook the ordinary rhythm of confession, mutual submission, of forgiveness, laughter and daily commitment to honesty. Or for those who wish to have an extraordinary family, do not bypass the ordinary steps of discipline, routine, prayer, serving and kindness. 

What about the desire for an extraordinary church? That begins with the building blocks of 

regular prayer, sacrificial service, giving and carrying each other’s burdens. . It means taking the time to honestly listen to a teenager or to encourage a senior or to listen to the chats of a toddler, eye to eye. Are these not simple ordinary relational pieces and yet they build, step by step, into an extraordinary experience and reality. 

When Jesus taught about the upside-down kingdom in Matthew 5-7, the extraordinary discovery is how ordinary those commands really are—it goes against our desire for something big, dramatic and memorable! 

It was George Eliot who once wrote, “The growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs.” Be careful not to begrudge the ordinary tasks of your life. When they are done ‘as unto the Lord,’ we anticipate that He will do above and beyond what we ask or imagine and will build something extraordinary in His time and His way! 

-Pastor Ken Stoesz