The Virtue of the Ordinary
It is human to seek the extraordinary. When you ask a child what he wants to be when he grows up, you will often hear "NFL quarterback, "astronaut," or another extraordinary profession. Rarely do you hear "systems analyst," "secretary," or "cashier." Most of the population does not end up in these extraordinary professions, but instead end up in fairly normal positions. Nonetheless, the Western world pushes everyone to improve. You are never allowed to be satisfied with your position, your salary, your career trajectory, etc. You must seek more. The assumption is that everyone with a junior position should seek a senior position, and that every senior should seek to be a manager in their company.
Even Christian leaders have bought into this. Much of the evangelical and charismatic world tells their congregants that they are destined for great things, and that the Christian life includes fulfilling your dreams or goals in this life. Many evangelical leaders exegete “where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18) to mean that you will live a poor life if you do not have a vision for the future. Craig Groeschel, pastor of Life Church, wrote a book titled Chazown which "shows how to live life fully by finding, naming and achieving your unique, God-given goal.”[i] Rick Warren speaks similarly of this passage: "with no vision, you waste time and you miss opportunities...only God can tell you your purpose because He created you specifically and uniquely to live it out. And only following His vision will allow you to live the abundant life God intends for you."[ii] Many other pastors say the same, following the lead of these influential evangelical leaders.
In their thought, God has a unique plan for you that you must follow. This dream is individual, a special and impactful mission God gives you to fulfill in this life. Notice that it is not salvation in Christ, but instead something worldly. Rick Warren speaks of God's vision for you as part of the "abundant life"[iii] and Craig Groeschel gives the following as what the Chazown solves: "tired of living half a life or even a waking nightmare? Struggling to find meaning in a job you don't like? Facing graduation or midlife changes in a faltering economy? Wishing you could rekindle a dream you gave up long ago?"[iv]
Unfortunately, this is a complete misunderstanding of the Christian life. The Christian life is not a life full of promises for glory and greatness today. The vast majority of Christians throughout history are unknown to us. Even when names are mentioned in patristic sources, those figures are frequently unfamiliar to us because their works were lost, or they never wrote anything. And those are theologians! Imagine the countless Christian laity who never wrote anything or had no major impact on the church. The innocent martyrs murdered by Herod at the birth of Christ were certainly not destined for worldly greatness, and we do not know their names. The poor widow's glory is found in her virtue, not in her status before the world. She presumably completed her Christian life as a poor widow. Polycarp was set on fire and stabbed to death by the Romans. What kind of abundant life did Maximos the Confessor live, having his tongue and right hand mutilated before being exiled? What dream did he have rekindled?
The Evangelical may respond that such does not answer Proverbs 29:18. After all, Scripture norms experiences, even those of the great saints. Unfortunately for the evangelical leaders, that passage has nothing to say about personal visions for your life. The entire passage is "where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he" (Proverbs 29:18) which means that the vision is law, rules from God concerning conduct. Only by cutting off the latter half of the verse can the evangelicals interpret it as they do.
Instead of living with the burden of finding God's unique vision for you, which you will discover if you buy the books the evangelical preachers write, the Christian can live with the assurance that God is pleased with all kinds of vocations. Christians are normal people. Paul frequently admonishes Christians to be content in their life, thanking God regardless of circumstances. Paul writes that some Christians are slaves (1 Corinthians 7:21); there is no promise for freedom in this life, but the promise for freedom is in the life with Christ, freedom from sin and death, which finds its fulfillment in the next life, in the resurrection. Until then, the Christian lives his life as God has called him to live.
This does not mean that Christians cannot have ambition or wealth. Joshua conquered nations, David defeated Goliath, etc. but that was their vocation: God called them to perform these tasks in faith. The example of David conquering Goliath is not meant to show Christians that all of their giants, be it financial or physical, will be defeated in this life. Some Christians live in poverty. The assumption is that the poor will always exist (John 12:8), or at the very least, they would exist throughout the lives of the Apostles, which is notable in itself.
Further, God uses normal things to accomplish extraordinary purposes. The sacrament of baptism brings salvation to the Christian, yet baptism uses water that can be found anywhere. To be baptized, the Christian does not need to climb a tall mountain in a dangerous place, but can use any water available to him. Yet, that water with the word saves! Similarly, the Eucharist uses bread and wine, common elements in this world, to give the body and blood of Christ to the Christian. Look no further than Christ Himself, who is not described as physically glorious in Scripture, In fact, Christ is prophetically described as without beauty (Isaiah 53:2). Christians are constantly admonished to be like infants. What glorious life does an infant live? What battle has the infant overcome?
It is fine and good to be ambitious, to have personal goals, and to look to change the world. But this is not an essential part of the Christian life. The Christian can rest confident in his vocation, in his normal life. A man who works faithfully as a bank teller is just as pleasing to God as the CEO, the doctor, or the astronaut.
In a world that drives people toward extraordinary goals and ambitions, Christianity offers a radically different end. The Christian life is not defined by achieving worldly success or fulfilling personal dreams, but by faithfulness in one’s calling, regardless of its worldly status. From the earliest martyrs to the poor widow and the countless Christians who lived faithfully in obscurity, the message remains that God’s pleasure lies not in worldly glory but in faithfulness and obedience. True greatness in the Christian life is found not in following a unique personal vision but in resting assured that God values and blesses every vocation that is lived in faith, no matter how ordinary it may seem. For the Christian, fulfillment is not bound to ambition but to a life of humble service and contentment, knowing that in Christ, even the ordinary is pleasing to God.
[i] Craig Groeschel, “Chazown”, accessed November 4, 2024, https://www.craiggroeschel.com/books/chazown.
[ii] Rick Warren, "Why You Need God's Vision," Pastor Rick's Daily Hope, accessed November 4, 2024, https://pastorrick.com/why-you-need-gods-vision.
[iii] Rick Warren, "Why You Need God's Vision," Pastor Rick's Daily Hope, accessed November 4, 2024, https://pastorrick.com/why-you-need-gods-vision.
[iv] Craig Groeschel, “Chazown”, accessed November 4, 2024, https://www.craiggroeschel.com/books/chazown.
Jared Mindel lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he is a member of University Lutheran Chapel. He plays several different brass instruments in local concert bands, and sings in the University Lutheran Chapel choir. In his free time, he enjoys reading about theology and philosophy, following Michigan sports, and growing as a musician.