We live in a world that craves excitement. Social media feeds are filled with highlight reels, adventures, achievements, and great moments. In church, we often feel drawn to the next big thing: new conferences, books, or spiritual trends.
But what if the best way to live the Christian life isn't found in chasing the extraordinary but in embracing the ordinary? What if the so-called boring Christian life is actually the most faithful, fruitful, and fulfilling way to live?
The Beauty of the Ordinary
The Christian life is built on what theologians call the ordinary means of grace. These essential practices ordained by God help strengthen our faith: reading Scripture, praying, gathering with the church, and taking the Lord's Supper.
Westminster Shorter Catechism question 88 asks, “What are the outward means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemption?” The answer: “The outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemption are his ordinances, especially the word, sacraments, and prayer; all which are made effectual to the elect for salvation.”
None of these are flashy. Sometimes they're hard and even boring. They don't promise instant results. But they're the steady, faithful rhythms through which God works in our lives.
Most of life is made up of ordinary days. Extraordinary moments like weddings, graduations, or life-changing decisions are rare. Most of the time, our days are filled with work, family, and routine. It's in these ordinary moments that God meets us. He doesn't just work in mountaintop experiences; he works in the valleys, the plateaus, and the everyday grind.
Ray Ortlund writes, “Our gracious Lord is not playing ‘catch me if you can’ with us. He has made Himself knowable and accessible in specific ways of His own wise choosing—His appointed avenues of blessing are the means of grace.”
They may seem ordinary, but they are powerful. As Ortlund says, “His chosen means identify where He has concentrated His availability, like a gushing fountain of mercy for sinners desperate enough to come to Christ on His terms.”
Why Ordinary Is Better
Ordinary Is Sustainable
Chasing the extraordinary can be exhausting. It’s like running a sprint when life is a marathon. The ordinary means of grace provide a sustainable rhythm for the long haul. They ground us, giving us the spiritual nourishment we need to persevere.
Ordinary Is Transformative
Big moments can inspire us, but real transformation happens over time. Daily Bible reading, quiet prayer moments, and weekly gatherings with fellow believers help shape us into the image of Christ. These small, consistent practices add up to big changes.
Ordinary Keeps Us Humble
Extraordinary things can boost our pride. We may believe that our spiritual growth relies on our efforts or that we are more mature due to our experiences. Ordinary means of grace remind us of our dependence on God. They’re not about what we do for him, but about what he does in us.
Ordinary Reflects God’s Design
God works through the ordinary. Jesus entered the world in the humblest way: born to a young woman in a small, unremarkable town. He spent most of his life in quiet obscurity, working as a carpenter. Jesus repeatedly preferred the ordinary to the extraordinary, showing that God's power is usually found in the simple and humble.
The Challenge of Ordinary Faithfulness
The ordinary can be dull. It’s easy to take the means of grace for granted or to let them become routine. The challenge of Christian life is to find beauty in the mundane, realizing there is no "ordinary" when God is present.
Faithfulness in the ordinary requires perseverance. It means showing up, day after day, even when we don’t feel like it. It means trusting that God is working, even when we don’t see immediate results. And it means finding joy in the simple, everyday acts of obedience.
The good news is that God doesn’t just work through the ordinary; he transforms it. When we read Scripture, we’re not just reading words on a page; we’re hearing the voice of God. When we pray, we’re not just speaking into the void; we’re communing with our Creator. When we gather with the church, we’re not just attending a meeting; we’re participating in the body of Christ. The ordinary means of grace are extraordinary because they connect us to an extraordinary God.
A Call to Embrace the Ordinary
So, what does it look like to live a “boring” Christian life? It looks like opening your Bible each morning, even when you’re tired. It looks like praying for your family, your church, and your neighbors, even when you don’t have the words. It looks like showing up to church each week, even when it feels like a routine. It looks like trusting that God is at work in the small, unseen moments of your life.
It looks like what Paul describes in 1 Thessalonians 4:10-11 (CSB):
But we encourage you, brothers and sisters, to do this even more, to seek to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, so that you may behave properly in the presence of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone.
This is the life God calls us to: a life of ordinary faithfulness. It’s not glamorous, but it’s good. It’s not flashy, but it’s fruitful. And in the end, it’s the life that leads to true joy and lasting transformation.
Let's embrace the steady rhythms of grace. And let’s trust that as we do, God will do extraordinary things in and through us for his glory.
