Last week I covered the hopelessness of expecting suffering as my lot in life. Now I want to discuss the polar opposite view—expecting to be living in continual ecstasy.
There’s a fallacy in Christendom that leads to apostasy. It is the following: “I am entitled to live on an ever-present mountain top!” Many seeker-friendly pastor-salesmen have used this to falsely entice souls into the faith, only to leave them shipwrecked on the delusion. Left in wake of this lie are bitter, entitled souls angry with a God who has failed to uphold His end of the bargain. Or ADHD Christians flitting and flying about like moths looking for a flame, only to follow the whirl rather than the still small Voice (1 Kings 19:11-13).
Life is not about a carnival of happenings. God’s not a sideshow barker whose job is to keep us entertained. When I believe something must always be happening in order to be happy, I will be led by happenings and not by purpose. I will be driven by a breeze and not by the Wind of the Spirit. At this point, I will be tempted to accept every wind of doctrine just to maintain my addiction.
Life is about Purpose. Purpose is the will of the Father, or its just folly. And though His Will leads me to experience His glory, life’s not about living within a circus of tantalizing experiences. Even if I have a ministry of miracles, I must be undergirded within the common, not the miraculous.
We’ve been sold a bill of goods that has no room for actually living life. Life is about responsibility and investment. And these aren’t the sexy things that keep us mesmerized, but they are the things that make us pleasing. “Well-done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21, 25)
God’s movement is found more in stillness than spectacle, but we’ve trained ourselves to seek Him in the sensational rather than silence. This makes us nothing but starving orphans scampering about for our next crumb to devour. It’s tragic yet common.
Our God finds us behind the plow, under the fig tree, and within our actual lives. This doesn’t mean He is not into festivals or pageantry. Our God loves a good party! It’s just that this is the exception, not the rule. When we make it our rule, we’re primed for delusion and disappointment.
Jesus loves the mundane and practical. He built us to dwell in our common places more than the extraordinary events. We don’t go to the circus everyday – that’s a place we visit on occasion. Where we do go daily is to work. Christ wants to be found by us in our daily routines. It’s there where the soul and spirit finds true satisfaction. Being happy occurs in the happenings. These are as fleeting as our moments. True joy is found in His purpose within the life He’s given me. This is what’s lasting and it’s found in every moment, whether mundane or momentous.
Then He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the Lord’s presence.” At that moment, the Lord passed by. A great and mighty wind was tearing at the mountains and was shattering cliffs before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a voice, a soft whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Suddenly, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
1 Kings 19:11-13 (HCSB)
with the circus or the mundane, Jesus often finds Himself at our side-line. If we look to identify the “daily routines” of Jesus or His disciples, few dull moments can be marked. Much too intense to be a circus… Far too engaging to be mundane… John, may we know Christ along the incredible journey with Him?
Oh, that we would know Him ever more in all of life’s happenings — from the kitchen sink to the miraculous display. I think that’s the most amazing thing, knowing Him in all of life’s events along our journey. Yes, knowing Him is never dull even in life’s mundanes and knowing Him is too intense to be a circus. Thank you so much for commenting Marshall. Bless you!
John, such a needed word. I have flitted about for so long only to come back to the so called mundane. Jesus wants me to know Him in my family, my work, my responsibilitiea. To know Him in a rooted and grounded way. This word roots and grounds my soul back to the still small voice of the Spirit, back to the Lordship of Christ where I can find joy in Him in the simplest of things and that is alright. It’s more than alright!!!
Yes! John this is an important lesson and you have made me focus again on the word “purpose”. Jesus has told me to take His yoke on me and learn from Him. A yoke indicates work and it is while doing my daily, routine work that His Spirit within me teaches me more than at any other time. He Is Immanuel – God With us – indeed..
I agree with all these comments. Truly a precious word to us:”He built us to dwell in our common places….Christ wants to be found by us in our daily routines….where the soul and spirit find true satisfaction (IN HIM)
THANK YOU JOHN and GOD
Ahhhh…”Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you…” And it is His peace that this message brings. Amen
Bless you
Love
Wow, John, is right, Sam!
Did you ever wax eloquent in this blog today! The writing and word-smithing is beautiful (You really had that “Martha” anointing as you wrote this! 🙂 but the message is powerful and so important for so many in Christendom, especially in charismatic circles. I wish you could submit this article to Charisma for publication!
I’m so blessed and encouraged today to be reminded that God is in the mundane! Thanks, John!!
Wow John. Thank you.