A Christian Way of Living the Ordinary

I can’t believe it took me 26 years to get a traditional mop and bucket to clean my house. Everything happens perfectly in God’s timing, and this moment couldn’t be further from that. I delight in witnessing the Lord work in unexpected ways through the ordinary. The joy I feel in such moments truly uplifts my spirit. I must admit, I wasn’t thrilled about taking on this chore; after all, mopping wasn’t something I had done before, and there are definitely more exciting tasks out there.

But I had to get it done. Although I felt annoyed by this mundane chore, I invited the Lord to grant me patience and understanding. I filled the bucket with water and vinegar and got to work. To my surprise, God showed up. 

Magic Started Happening

As the mop touched the big, old stain on the floor, it seemed to disappear magically. I became captivated by how effortlessly I cleaned the entire floor. A profound satisfaction washed over me, filling me with joy as I realized this seemingly dull task was actually a conduit for goodness.

As I continued to mop, I smiled and thanked God for this simple yet profound way of feeling His presence. Suddenly, I heard His voice in my heart, reminding me that this is precisely what He does to my entire being when I spend time with Him in prayer. I thought of the gift of confession and how quickly He cleanses our souls from the stains of sin once we acknowledge and repent from the things polluting our inner kingdom. He longs for our hearts to shine so His love reflects in every corner of our being. It is then that we find ourselves living in freedom.

This sense of cleanliness isn’t new to me, but often, when we let little messes pile up, we end up drowning in a big mess. We need to cultivate the habit of staying organized and tidy in the ordinary. My mom always said, “Everything has a place for a reason.” I never understood the wisdom in her words until I experienced the effect of my messiness on my relationship with Christ.

When the Ordinary Overcomes Temptation

It’s tempting to procrastinate or convince ourselves that delaying a task won’t cause harm. But this mindset blinds us to the mountain of mess we’re creating. A colossal mess can discourage us from taking action. We find ourselves complaining and wallowing in self-loathing, often lacking the motivation to change or seek help. That’s why we need to be disciplined at the moment and strive to keep our physical and spiritual spaces clean.

While mopping, I noticed that I had to mop the older, more prominent stains several times before they finally disappeared, whereas the smaller ones vanished the moment the wet mop touched them. I imagine that’s how the Holy Spirit works in our lives, turning our bad habits into vices.

God can equip us with all the tools to overcome our sins, but there’s no freedom or love in that. Love actively seeks and chooses goodness. We must put our desires to be better into action. God helps us persevere and nurtures our efforts, so we bear fruit, but it requires time. Just as it takes time for bad habits to develop into vices, sound habits can transform into virtues if we stay focused on God throughout our lives.

I hope you see God working in your ordinary life so you don’t take it for granted. Trust that He is with you in every situation, and watch your irritability transform into contentment through gratitude. 

I know it’s hard. This reminder speaks to me; I started writing this a week ago after that moment of ecstasy, and now I dread the thought of needing to mop again. It turns out it’s not a one-time thing, but I’m learning to be present with the Lord in my routines.

The everyday doesn’t have to be boring, right?