In our culture today “ordinary” gets a bad rap. Everything has to be bigger, better, more exciting, once-in-a-lifetime, epic, or insert your own favorite superlative here! Don’t get me wrong, I like those extraordinary times as much as anyone–but let’s not forget about the ordinary.

Let’s face it–ordinary is where the overwhelming majority of our lives are lived. Those moments when we are just going about our daily routine doing the things that need to be done. It is those moments where we can and do make an enormous impact for God’s Kingdom.

Chuck Swindoll was quoted as saying, “Ordinary people do more than the extraordinary people.” Now, he wasn’t disrespecting the people we call extraordinary people of the faith. His point was that there are millions of Christians that everyday do millions of “ordinary” deeds that advance the Kingdom.

A couple weeks ago I watched the first Hobbit movie on blu-ray. I admit that I have not read the book–not sure how I could have missed out on this one! Anyway, I was struck by a powerful quote that Gandolf said to Galadriel, “Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay…small acts of kindness and love.” Great words crafted by J.R.R. Tolkien!

So, try to remember that as you go about your week. Those boring, ordinary parts of your day when you are just “doing what needs to be done” are the things that can help keep the darkness at bay!

This week, be ordinary and be proud of it! You are doing God’s work!

More to come…
Jeremy