An Ordinary Life

Many times as Christians we want to do great things for God. Reading through Hebrews chapter 11 can stir a great desire to be listed among the faithful. O to be a hero of the faith. One day as I was reading through the book of Daniel though, a sudden realization hit me. I noticed how long it was between some of his visions. At the beginning of the book Daniel was a young man most likely in his early teens and by the end of the book he was an old man most likely in his 80’s. This period covers at least 70 years or more. A handful of visions and a lion’s den condensed into 12 chapters may seem exciting, but spread over more than 70 years I don’t believe it was as exciting as it may seem. Daniel spent the majority of his life in a government job just living a faithful Christian life. As I pondered the reality of this I began to recall the lives of other great Biblical heroes.

I think we all too often tend to romanticize the lives of Biblical characters. Condensed Biblical versions of their life bring about grand visions of a two hour feature movie that ignore the grind of daily life. It’s easy to forget how movies make life exciting. Cut the mundane 45 minutes it takes to get ready for work down to 10 seconds, cut the mundane 30 minute drive to work down to 5 seconds, cut the mundane 8 hour work day down to 5 minutes, flash forward 15 years and oh the excitement of watching the mail clerk claw his way to CEO. Wasn't “The Ten Commandments” riveting? Do we really comprehend the first 80 years of Moses’ life though? During the first 40 years of his life the Bible basically records him being born and being run out of Egypt. That’s not a whole lot of excitement in 40 years. The next 40 years is spent tending flocks in the desert. Sometimes I feel as though I haven’t “done” enough for God, but then it hits me that I am not yet 40 years old and Moses spent 40 years tending sheep in obscurity.

I know at least I at times tend to think of fulfilling God’s call as doing something great. Biblical heroes though usually spent most of their lives in faithful obscurity. Gen 5:23-24 records “So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.” 365 years is a long time. What great things did Enoch do during this time? His greatness was in living a quiet God pleasing life. Heb 11:55 “By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, ‘and was not found, because God had taken him’; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego had a blockbuster story surviving the fiery furnace but what about the rest of their lives spent in quiet faithful obscurity? It is even easy to overlook the first 30 years of Jesus’ life “growing in wisdom and stature” and living a quiet Godly carpenters life. When Jesus came into his ministry men asked is this not an ordinary man? The son of God spent most of his time living an ordinary life in faithful communion with his Heavenly father. Pick any Biblical hero and reflect on the reality of the years before, between, or after their Biblical fame and I think you will find the same thing.

The Apostle Paul says in 1Thes. 4:11 “…that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you…” and again in 1 Tim 2:2-3 “…that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior…” So if you want to do great things for God, get up tomorrow morning and pray that He goes before you, brush your teeth, eat breakfast, and head out to face the daily grind while walking humbly with your Lord. …And who knows? Maybe tomorrow night you will be thrown into the lions den and have your own story to tell.