5 Ways God Wants to Use Your Ordinary Faithfulness

It is easy to see the prominent and impactful acts of many who work mightily for the Lord. Missionaries of the past, martyrs of the faith, famous preachers over time. They all stand out larger than life and their important work is remembered by many. In our day, with social media we can easily see the impact that others are having on the kingdom.

In all this we should rejoice. Yet, sometimes it may make us feel small and useless. After all, in comparison, what are we doing? We feel simple and ordinary and redundant. Do our hidden, daily tasks really matter in the scheme of God’s kingdom?

The answer, of course, is yes. Big acts for God are important, but so are little ones. Scripture is brimming with stories of both Kings and beggars, and Christ was given for both.

Here are five ways that God can work through our ordinary faithfulness.

Consistency

Jesus himself demonstrated consistency. He gave message after message. He healed again and again. He walked from town to town. He ate meals. He repeated the same truths. He stuck to His plan and His ministry, day after day because He desired to do he will of the Lord. Amazingly, He could have done so much more than He even did. He really could have showed off. Yet, he humbled himself and continued faithfully in His ministry.

When we keep steadily working on the tasks God has assigned us, we honor Christ with our consistency. It is a sign of commitment and dedication and contentment.

1 Corinthians 15:58 says, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” We see here that simple repeated faithfulness has a purpose. Sometimes we cannot see the grand purpose in our mundane duties, but God does. He only asks that we obey.

Kindness

Simple acts of kindness may not receive accolades or notice from the world, but they mean the world to the individuals who receive them and they honor the Lord. God instructs us in Galatians 6:10, “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Most of us will find that our opportunities to do good occur in commonplace moments, not on a stage. What the scripture tells us though, is that kindness is a holy work. It is God designed and it has a place in our walk of faith. Kindness is simply doing good to someone.

There are many ways to show kindness and most are free and brief. That God took the time to mention something so basic means that it matters in His kingdom. Don’t disregard your acts of kindness as unimportant; cultivate them.

Listening

Sitting and listening to someone is probably the most ordinary of all the ways we can show our faithfulness to Christ, yet it is commanded. The proverbs repeatedly emphasize the importance of listening not only to God but also to others. Scripture also warns us repeatedly against a hasty tongue.

How can sitting and saying nothing be impactful for our faith? Listening is an act of humility and service. It can lead to opportunities to demonstrate kindness to others. When we listen, we care about others as we are instructed to in Philippians 2:4: “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

When you look someone in the eye, hear what they are saying, and show them that their soul matters, you are looking out for their interests. Chances are, your faithful act of listening will lead you to other opportunities.

Showing Up

While a busy and prominent figure for the Lord can make a massive impact, they sometimes miss opportunities to show up in meaningful ways to individuals. We need people to speak to the masses, but the masses also need someone to be there for them as a unique human being. This is similar to how God loved the world while also seeking a personal relationship with individuals.

Our ordinary lives offer opportunities to show up for others in their good times and in their bad. Bringing a meal when someone is ill or flowers when they have a baby. Babysitting when there is an emergency or being a shoulder to cry on during a breakup. All of these everyday moments are big moments for someone. Playing in their first game or graduating a grade are milestones to someone. When we show up, we tell them they matter and that someone sees them. We are being the hands and feet of Christ in those moments.

1 Corinthians 12:26 reminds us, “If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.” This is a call to show up when life is hard or when it is full of joy.

Small Unnoticed Acts

Consistency, kindness, listening, and showing up are not only small ordinary acts, but often hidden ones. No one may know about that coffee date you had with the lonely college kid, or the coffee you dropped off for the new mom. There won’t be headlines about the time you smiled and chatted with the elderly woman in the grocery line or cleaned up that spill in the church lobby.

Always remember that God sees everything and that everything we do for Him matters, no matter how small it may seem.

Matthew 13:32 touches on this when it talks about the spread of the gospel starting as a seed, “It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

There are always ripple effects of our actions. In addition to honoring God and helping others, ordinary faithfulness shapes us. Day after day, action after action, the Holy Spirit makes us more like Christ when we live for him in simple, daily, ordinary faithfulness.