The Ordinary Things in Life

It is easy to fall into the trap of seeing the ordinary activities of life as somehow less “spiritual” and thus less important than those activities where we worship God, pray, and study our Bibles.

There is no hint of that in these verses from Paul’s letter to Timothy.

Paul candidly talks about specific and ordinary people (not apostles!), noting those who have been helpful—like Luke, Mark, and four other friends who send greetings to Timothy (v 21), and those who have not been helpful at all: Demas and Alexander (vv 10, 14). Nor does Paul “spiritualize” his suffering with pious words. “No one helped me when I was put on trial,” he says (v 16).

The ordinary news of “who is where” is included too: Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia, Tychicus to Ephesus, Erastus has stayed in Corinth, while Trophimus was still sick in Miletus when Paul saw him last.

Do we as 21st-century readers need to know these details? They mean nothing to us because we don’t know these people or these geographical places at all. But I suspect they mean so much to Timothy; he can picture the faces of these friends and imagine them in their communities. This information gives him a sense that he is included, that he is not alone, that he is supported, and that he is part of something much bigger.

And then (in this, which appears to be Paul’s final NT letter) he says quite simply: “bring my coat and the scrolls... pass along greetings to my friends ... and do your best to come before winter.”

In earlier letters and even earlier in this letter, Paul has given sound, theological teaching. But as important as those are—and they are important—he is an ordinary human being with friends and foes and with personal needs. If we are to follow Paul’s example, we would do well to pay attention to the ordinary and human aspects of our lives and our friends’ lives.

Respond in Prayer

Lord God, when I am struggling to get out of bed, my tea kettle is broken, and my friend has gone out of town, help me to see that you are still with me. And help me also to pay attention to these kinds of ordinary issues in my friends’ lives. For Jesus’ sake, Amen.

Henry Friesen

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version® (NIV®).