Faithful in the Mundane

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My favorite sermon topics are those about mundane life. In this post, I want to clarify some points and give practical advice on serving Christ right where we are.

The Lure of the Secret

As a young Christian, I was deeply concerned about missing God’s will. I worried I would somehow miss God’s signs and wanted to know the secret of being a good Christian. I spent many years in anxious agony, wondering, waiting, hoping that I didn’t miss God or in search of something mysterious. At the time, most of those in my world were just like me. We read and listened to anything that would give us ‘the secret’ to victorious Christian living. Writers and teachers taught ‘spiritual secrets’ and ‘keys to faithful living.’ It was alluring. But it was also frustrating. I never seemed to measure up, could not overcome certain sins, and was deeply discouraged.

As I shared this with an older, more mature Christian, he said something stunning and life-changing. He said the Lord was already leading me and would meet me right where I was if my heart were toward Him. This older man encouraged me to stop worrying about a ‘secret’ and start trusting that the gospel was real and God was at work in me because of it.

Being What He wants You to Be Will Lead You to What He Wants You To Do

That realization caused my anxious heart to settle down, stop pursuing the ‘secret,’ and start trusting Christ. I realized that God was interested in transforming me daily with His grace and would use trials and triumphs to change me. I needed to do the simple work of trusting Him.

I stopped worrying about what God wanted me to ‘do’ and became more concerned with who and what He wanted me to ‘be.’ My character, habits, and desires became more important than money, career, or direction.

Through the years, I have found that when I become what God wants me to be, He always leads me to do what He wants me to do. For example, I am more concerned with being a godly man, husband, and father than I am with being a good pastor. Being godly in those areas will make me a good pastor.

Faithful Where You Are

I say all that because it fits into Sunday’s sermon and learning to be faithful in the mundane. Many Christians read their Bibles believing that something is wrong with them if they don’t live like the Apostle Paul. I was that way. Living an unusual life of faith, with miracles happening every day, being in prayer meetings that shook buildings, and having people repent of sins should be the daily and regular routines of our lives. If those things aren’t happening, we’re not living for Christ, and something is wrong.

But when we read our Bibles, we must understand that we’re reading decades (Acts is 30 years) of Christian experiences in one book. And we must remember that we’re following 1-3 people through their journey. And those 1-3 were uniquely called by God to carry a new revelation into new places. That is not the ‘normal’ Christian experience. It’s unusual in every sense of the word.

This is why Paul wrote letters to Christians where there were churches to be faithful at home, work, and in their neighborhoods. Paul wrote to the ‘common’ folk, like us, who will live daily in the same place. He wrote to breadmakers, cobblestone workers, masons, moms, dads, and single people. He wrote to the centurion soldier, the Roman official, and the seamstress. Most would never live beyond 10 miles from where they were born. Paul wanted them to be faithful to Christ right where they were. He did not expect them to do what He was doing. He knew how unique his calling was. But he called Christians to be faithful in the mundane.

What that looked like was young adults looking for ways to serve others around them. It looked like marriages that sought to represent Jesus and His relationship with His bride, the Church. It looked like parents teaching their kids the gospel and how to walk with God. It looked like older men teaching younger men how to live before the face of God and be faithful to God (being sober-minded, self-controlled, dignified, sound in faith, mature, and steadfast). It looked like older women teaching younger women how to practically serve others and the Lord (being respectful, not slandering or gossiping, loving their husbands and children, being pure in heart and mind, supporting and working at home, being kind, and submissive to their husbands). It looked like daily getting up before the Lord, trusting in the gospel, and walking in the Spirit. It looked like people being what God called them to be.

What you will notice is how ‘everyday’ these things are. This isn’t a spiritual secret. It’s a walk of life. It’s not about being famous; it’s about being faithful. It’s not about being attractional; it’s about being obedient. What I will tell you is how ‘unusual’ this is to the onlooker. I have found that when we set our hearts to these things, we become famous for our faithfulness and attractional through our obedience. But those aren’t the goals. The glory of Christ is.

Being Called Somewhere Else

Being faithful where we are does not mean that God could not call us somewhere else (double negatives, I know). For instance, in my early 20s, after my older friend gave me his advice, the Lord made it clear that I was to move from Texas to Oregon. Without going into detail, God made it clear that it was time for me to leave home and go. What I can tell you is that I wasn’t looking to go. I was being faithful right where I was (I had turned down chances to leave) and trying to be what God wanted me to be, believing He would lead me where He wanted me to go.

I am an example of someone who didn’t stay near my home, so I know firsthand that God sends us to places. But my fear for most Christians is that they live with a sense of either low-grade guilt or an expectation that if they don’t go, they’re a failure or they will never truly experience God’s best for their lives. I think that is a misrepresentation of being a faithful Christian.

Here’s what I would say to someone who thinks that they need adventure, a spiritual secret, or they believe they must ‘go’ to be faithful: be godly, trust in Christ’s gospel, and be faithful right where you are, and the Lord will make it crystal clear through His word, respected Christian friends, and to your spirit where you are to go and what you are to do. If there is no confirmation from God’s word, affirmation from respected Christian friends, or peace in your spirit, stay right where you are and be faithful.

Looking Ahead

Are you enjoying our series, “Awaiting the King?” I sure hope so because I am. We will continue our Christmas series, “Awaiting the King,” this Sunday as we look at Luke 1:26-38. We will examine the Preparation for the Savior as we encounter Gabriel’s message to Mary and study her response. We will consider how to prepare for the Savior’s coming.

From the Cheap Seats:

Let Tom Brady tell you what he thinks of protecting QBs from big hits outside the pocket: https://x.com/Stroud4MVP/status/1864040892996227382.
I’m not a fan of this: https://bleacherreport.com/post/mlb/344d40b8-1b85-42d6-ac7e-0ec51fd1f92c
And this has to be one of the funniest prayers and use of faith I have ever seen from a football player (thanks, Crab King): https://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/42749499 (my son Caleb sent me this)😂.