I Dare You to Be Ordinary {Thursday Therapy}
I dare you to live an ordinary life. I know. You'd rather be somebody famous. Or sexy. Or rich. How about popular?Forget it.In order to be a change agent for Jesus in the world, you have to be ordinary. Yep, the everyday guy who lives in an ordinary house and does ordinary work—tend the yard, cook the meals, earn an income, and wash the clothes. And change the baby's diaper and the oil in the car.
Think about it
Jesus is fully God, but also fully human. That means he is more human than you and I are human. He will always be human. That was part of the deal when he came to earth.As God, Jesus does God stuff. As a human, Jesus does human stuff. Much of the God stuff and the human stuff are related.
- Like tending a garden—think Garden of Eden.
- Like cooking—think fish breakfast on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.
- Like homemaking and providing for a family—(see John 14:2 and Psalm 104:1-2; 10-18).
Being human involves routine in life and nature. You know, stuff like:
- sunrise and sunset
- the four seasons
- work, leisure, and sleep
- cooking and cleaning
- eating and waiting to eat
- worship and prayer
Jesus did all that. In most ways he lived an ordinary life. He still does. And he's changing you into his image. (Best therapy ever!)He likes to hang with ordinary people who live ordinary lives. He longs to take part in your human, routine activities.Because he loves everyday people. And he wants to connect with them. And he wants to do it through you.Most of the ministry of Jesus in the New Testament happened when people's needs interruption the daily activities of his life.And then extraordinary things happened. And the world changed. One person at a time.Do you think that pattern's changed? NO!But now Jesus wants to do it through you—living your ordinary life. Really.
Dare to be ordinary so you can live the extraordinary
1. Love Jesus2. Live an ordinary life3. Invite Jesus to live your ordinary life with you4. Be willing to be interrupted5. Be available to meet people's needs (or part of their needs)6. Be willing to take a risk and reach out through some type of action—listen to their story, share your story, pray for them, invite them to dinner, or pay their overdue electrical bill. Be Jesus with skin on.
I dare you to be ordinary!
Therapy is all about being human. Really, really, truly, fully human. Share your ordinary, human life with Jesus, and you'll find yourself living an extraordinary life that doesn't need a therapist.Want more? See God's Voice in the Ordinary and What to Do When Your Schedule Doesn't Go as Planned
- Do you approach your routine activities as an opportunity to share your humanity with Jesus?
- What's one ordinary thing you do that is often interrupted with an opportunity to meet a need?
- How many need-meeting opportunities are part of your everyday, human routines? (Cooking, cleaning, going to work, yard work—all meet the needs of the most important people God has placed in your life.)
And oh, just so you know, Jesus is preparing a place just for us to hang out in our humanity with him. Take a peek.Until Monday!Warm wishes from sunny California. Susan"Jesus likes it when we share." -Adelaide, age 3: Pass this along to everybody and their brother. OK, maybe not everybody's brother, but you know . . . all of your friends would be nice.