I love watching the NBA. Since I was a young boy, I have enjoyed following some of my favorite teams like the Sixers, Lakers and Celtics.
But because of the limited time I have to day, I can only watch the highlights on YouTube. I love it because it will only take 9 minutes of my time to watch the highlights of the game. I skip the 39 minutes of errors, bad passes, missed shots and fouls. I only get to see the dunks, the three pointers and fancy passes. I only see 1/5 of what goes on the whole game.
In a day and age where we only see the highlights, we carry this over in our lives. When we scroll through our social media feeds, we will see, for the most part, highlights of people’s lives – their vacation, their outstanding OOTDs, their new gadgets, nice parts of their house, their laughter, their happy moments. When we begin to think that that should be much of what should be happening in our lives, we get sucked into the highlight culture.
In addition to this, we fall into the comparison trap. When we watch someone’s highlights, we can begin to think something’s wrong with our life because it’s not a consistent highlight.
It is an important discipline to embrace the mundane. In fact, it’s in the mundane that we see growth. It’s in the mundane that we develop perseverance. And it’s in the mundane that our character is built.
Here are a few things we can do to embrace the mundane.
1. Be thankful.
The apostle Paul commanded, “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thes. 5:18) We are told to give thanks not FOR all circumstances but IN all circumstances – both when you’re enjoying a highlight or when you are going through deep valleys.
2. Persevere in faith.
We are called to “walk by faith and not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7).
When we don’t see what’s up ahead, we can trust the One who sees it. He knows the way. He has been there way before I even get there.
3. Make the most of every opportunity.
“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity” (Eph. 5:15-16).
Each day is a gift from God. Each moment for that matter, is a wonderful gift from God. Make the most of every moment given. Stay present. Value relationships. Rather than scrolling through your feed when you’re having coffee or dinner with someone, put your phone down and enjoy the conversation.
In a boring and mundane day, take the opportunity to be quiet and rest your soul before God.
Be still and know that He is God.
Life is not always a consistent highlight. Embrace the mundane. After some time, you’ll realize how much you’ve grown and life will be more joyful for you’ve unburdened yourself of the unnecessary pressures we put on ourselves.
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