God In The Ordinary

Scripture: “Whatever you do… do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.” — Colossians 3:17

Years ago, I was doing some Christmas shopping after a long work day. I fought traffic to and from the stores I wanted to shop at and was disappointed not to find what I was looking for.  

Then I had to pick up items from the grocery store, which was maddeningly busy and had few parking spots to choose from.  I finally found one on the fringes of the parking lot and got out of my car in a hurry.  

That was when I saw it.  A small bouquet of brilliantly colored fake plastic flowers that someone had stuck in the ground right next to where I parked my car.  

For a moment, I forgot all about my busyness and the frustrations of the day.  I smiled.  I thought of all the reasons a person would do something like that, and wondered if they thought it might bring cheer to others.  

Mostly, I found myself re-centering my soul.  I thought about those flowers long after I left the grocery store.  Strangely, I felt there was something of the Spirit of God in the way they were left there.  

Most of us long for moments when God feels close—worship that moves us, Scripture that speaks clearly, prayers that flow naturally, or seasons when spiritual insight feels rich and immediate. 

But the truth is, most of our lives are not lived on mountaintops. They unfold in kitchens and cars, in laundry rooms and office cubicles, in grocery aisles and waiting rooms, in long commutes and repetitive tasks. 

It’s easy to assume these ordinary spaces are somehow spiritually inferior, or that God pays more attention to what we do in church than what we do at home or at work. But nothing in Scripture supports that divide.

The biblical story is filled with holy interruptions that occur in everyday life. Moses encounters God while tending sheep—one of the most ordinary tasks imaginable. Ruth meets God’s faithfulness while gleaning grain to survive. Gideon is visited while hiding in a winepress. Mary is greeted by an angel while simply living her quiet life in Nazareth. Peter receives a life-changing calling while cleaning fishing nets. 

In every case, God meets people in the routine, not the remarkable.

The ordinary is not the backdrop for spiritual life—it is the spiritual life. Our faith is formed in the small choices: how we speak to others, how we hold our frustration in traffic, how we approach our work, how we respond to interruptions, how we serve those closest to us. 

When Paul says, “Whatever you do… do it in the name of the Lord Jesus,” he is not inviting us into constant religious activity. He is inviting us to practice awareness—an openness to God in the very fabric of daily living.

Perhaps spirituality is less about finding God and more about noticing God. God is already present in your breath, in your responsibilities, in your relationships, in your fatigue, in your rest, in your conversations, and in your work. The challenge is not to make your life spiritual, but to see your life as already embraced by God’s presence.

Today, pay attention. The holiness you desire may be hidden in plain sight—in the ordinary rhythms you’ve overlooked, in the quiet moments you rush through, and in the small acts of kindness that no one else sees.

Prayer

God of the everyday, open my eyes to your presence in my routines. Teach me to honor the small moments, the simple tasks, and the quiet spaces where you are already near. Help me to live this day with attentiveness and gratitude. Amen.

Reflection Questions

1. What part of your daily routine feels the least “spiritual” to you?

2. How might God be inviting you to discover holiness in that very place?

3. What simple, ordinary moment today can you approach with fresh awareness?