How Are You Stewarding Your Ordinary And Everyday?

Too often we exchange the Great Commission for our complacency. We daily entertain thoughts that ultimately lead to us sitting on the side-lines.

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I went to the dentist this week.  There aren’t many things I dread more.  Any other suffers of dentophobia?  For about two nights leading up to my appointment I experience nightmares and the sweats.  It isn’t pretty, folks.  However, this most recent visit unexpectedly gave me so much more than a mouth full of plaque-free teeth.

My hygienist, Becca, is one of the sweetest women I know.  Just some quick personal history for you; Becca was in the student ministry I interned for during my college years.  She is now a bold, Jesus-loving woman, with an amazing career, all the while, raising a Kingdom family (my kinda gal).  The only, and I mean only, perk of each dental visit is catching up with her.

As I sat mouth gapping open with her meticulously examining my pearly whites, she began to tell me recent opportunities to encourage and pray for women who sat in her chair.  She went on to tell me about a broken-hearted mom who lost her son to a brain tumor.  She was able to share her own story of loss, and how Jesus met her in her brokenness and grief.  During the duration of my appointment, she told me of two other similar stories that all ended with her praying over patients.

“I don’t think my patients realize they are going to get far more than an exam and cleaning when they come to see me.”

It’s been twenty-four hours and I can’t stop thinking about Becca’s stories.  She held nothing back.

Too often we exchange the Great Commission for our complacency.

We daily entertain thoughts that ultimately lead to us sitting on the side-lines.

“This doesn’t matter.”

“I’m not _____ enough.”

“______ is more qualified.”

“This is just a small thing.”

“I don’t have anything to offer.”

“My story doesn’t matter.”

“When my kids are older, I will have more to give.”

“I missed my chance.”

“Now go in my authority and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And teach them to faithfully follow all that I have commanded you. And never forget that I am with you every day, even to the completion of this age.” Matthew 28:18-20

We have been commissioned by our Maker. Regardless of race, gender, lack of qualifications, or our authority—we are to bring the hope of Jesus to those we encounter.  There is a sentence in the Aramaic that is missing in this text in all but one Greek manuscript that says, “As my Father has sent me, so I send you.”

You, my friend, have been sent.  Just as God sent Jesus, you have been sent into your workplace, home, neighborhood, church, community, and positions of authority to share and show the love of Jesus.

Are you holding back?

You want to know what I love about Becca’s story?  It’s relatable.  It’s a story of a girl sent by Jesus and she’s sharing him at work—in her everyday.  So often we think we need to do something BIG or it doesn’t count in the Kingdom.  When in fact, Kingdom work is about God working in our lack.  I believe we will stand before our Heavenly Father and be held accountable for how we stewarded our ordinary and everyday.  God’s economy doesn’t work like the algorithms of Instagram.

I’m convinced more of us need to go into our everyday lives as a woman commissioned by our Maker.  We need to sprinkle the hope of Jesus in our conversations in the coffee line, pray with a hurting co-worker, make a meal for a neighbor, or share the hope of Jesus at the mailbox.

Let’s refuse the side-lining thoughts that lead to complacency and take up our place as Women on Mission!

 

This is an updated edition of a post originally published on erikaopperman.com.

Featured image by Thao Le Hoang

The views and opinions expressed by Kingdom Winds Collective Members, authors, and contributors are their own and do not represent the views of Kingdom Winds LLC.

About the Author

Erika Opperman is a dynamic conference speaker, empowering Bible teacher, and writer. She’s also a local church girl where she’s spent over a decade serving in leadership in the local church. As a communicator at heart, Erika loves nothing more than encouraging anyone who will listen with profound yet practical truths found in God’s Word. Whether it’s in her small group, on a conference platform, or in her local church on a Sunday morning, Erika comes alive in any opportunity she has to share the truth. In her former life she was a theatre nerd where she discovered and developed her passion to communicate. Erika is a girly-girl living in a boys’ world. Her “hubs” as she affectionally refers to her husband, Brian, is the best human she knows. They are raising their little loves, Axel and Max, in the Northland of Kansas City. The Opps are nothing short of wild, fun, and even a bit crazy. They most recently helped plant their church, Discover Church, where Brian serves on staff as the worship pastor. Erika has been known to laugh too loud, perhaps talk too much, and drink copious amounts of coffee. Erika lives life out loud! You can catch Erika in real time on Instagram, Facebook, or at www.erikaopperman.com.