A Longing to Be Ordinary

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It seems to me like many of us are in pursuit of “going viral.” Take YouTube videos for instance.  Everybody wants a million views. What is that? Where does that desire come from? Is it a form of approval? or popularity? or power?

Or how about “Facebook Likes”? Same thing? Since not many of us will ever make it to “The Voice”, are we using other forms in order to become the next big thing?

I wonder how the craving for the next big thing is impacting us spiritually. Are we trying to create a Christianity that is comprised of jumping from one next big thing to another next big thing? Is that the way the Architect of Christianity designed it?

Whatever happened to the ordinary? Getting up each morning, spending a few moments reading God’s Word without any “Mount of Transfiguration” occurring in your living room. Talking to God in prayer without “being caught up into the third heaven.” Making the kids some breakfast and then caring for them by teaching, directing, disciplining, and enjoying them. Going to work and doing your job well even when it doesn’t result in a promotion or bonus. Participating in the life of your church by being a part of regular Bible studies without scintillating videos or special effects. Going to church on Sunday and ascribing “to the Lord the glory due his name,” without ever asking the question “What big thing is going to happen in church today?"

Viral YouTube videos, Facebook Likes, Twitter Followers, spine-tingling church services; are we so addicted to the next big thing, we find the ordinary boring? What if that’s backwards? What if God intends us to find great joy in the ordinary? Isn't God the God of the ordinary water cycle and the ordinary carbon dioxide-oxygen exchange and the ordinary migration of birds and the ordinary germination of seeds? Isn't he the God of numerous ordinary occurrences that go unnoticed everyday?

Isn't it possible that God wants us to see ordinary Bible reading, ordinary prayer, ordinary worship services and ordinary fellowship with other Christians as the next big thing?
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