When I was fourteen, I remember attending a Christian music festival that impacted my life in many ways. Every year since then I have continued to attend the festival. The worship, the life-changing messages, and the experience of it all made me feel like I was standing on top of a mountain, and not just the one I was literally standing upon. The worshipful nights of singing about our Creator while the sun would set behind the stage always made God feel so close like you could almost touch Him. His presence felt so near. But the festival always ended. Every year we would experience four days of amazing worship, and then the music would fade, we would return home, and all that would be left of the week were our memories and the pictures on our phones. With the end of the festival came the end of the “spiritual high” that the festival seemed to give me. After all, God felt so near there amid the singing of thousands of people on a mountain that He had created. But at home? In between the laundry and the chaos and the to-do list that never ends? Amid all of that, God didn’t feel quite so near. How is it that we can feel God so near in the moments of mountain highs at festivals or retreats or worship services, but at home we can barely get through the day and hear His voice? Could it possibly be that we become so caught up in the mundane of the everyday that we lose the glimmer of the extraordinary in the midst of our ordinary routine? You see, my problem is not that I need to attend a concert or a worship experience every night to feel God’s presence. My problem is that I’m not taking the time to look for Him in the everyday. His presence doesn’t change. But my perspective can. God is just as near to me in between running errands and doing dishes as He is on a mountainside concert. He is just as near to you in your everyday life as He is on your mountaintop experience. Look for Him. It may be harder to see Him in between the soap bubbles and the hours of studying on the computer, but He is there. I promise you that. He’s not going anywhere. He’s just waiting for you to notice Him there too, in the midst of all of that. How do we look for Him? Purposefully set aside time to spend with Him throughout your day. Think about Scriptures as you do simple tasks. Pray when you start worrying. Sing the worship songs as loud as you can on your way to work. Don’t miss Him there. When you experience the power of God in the everyday, your faith will grow like never before. Yes, it’s wonderful to experience that spiritual mountain-top moment at a festival or retreat. But experiencing Him in the everyday? That’s an experience like none other. Reach out and grasp hold of Him today.
1 Comment
Thank you for writing this, Bella. <3 One thing along these lines that really helps me is to view a certain "mundane" task as a deliberate act of worship. A while ago, I was very frustrated about my parents' sporadic date nights -- leaving me to babysit -- until I determined to view it as an act of worship. Then my attitude was a lot better because I knew I was serving God!
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