Holy Spirit in the Ordinary

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you…? You are not your own.” (1 Corinthians 6:19)

“Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Colossians 3:17)“In him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28)

There’s a quiet lie we’ve all swallowed at some point: that God is mostly found in the “big” moments. In church. In worship songs that hit just right. In retreats, conferences, altar calls, and mountaintop breakthroughs. And yes, God does meet us there. But if we only look for Him in the extraordinary, we will miss Him in the places we actually live. It's because most of your life isn’t thunder and fireworks. It’s traffic lights. Lunch boxes. Dishes you’ll wash again tomorrow. Emails. Meetings. A kid melting down in the back seat. The same corridor at work. The same worries are looping in your head. The ordinary can start to feel like a spiritual desert, not because God isn’t there, but because we stop expecting Him to be.

Here’s the truth: the Holy Spirit is not a guest star in your week. He’s a companion in your day.

Paul says you’re a temple of the Spirit. Not just on Sundays. Not just when your hands are raised. A temple is where God lives. That means the Spirit is already present in the most unglamorous parts of your life, and He’s not bored by them. He’s not waiting for you to “get to the good part.” He’s with you right now, in the middle of what feels small. Think about Jesus, thirty years of ordinary life before three years of public ministry. He chopped wood, walked dusty roads, ate meals, listened to people repeat themselves, waited in lines, went to weddings, and helped around the house.

Heaven didn’t avoid the ordinary; it moved right into it. So if you’re looking for the Holy Spirit only in dramatic spiritual highs, you’re looking in the wrong places. He loves the everyday because that’s where love gets lived. This is Christian life without the cringe: not chasing goosebumps, but growing awareness. Not forcing moments, but finding God already there. The Spirit is the gentle nudge when you’re about to snap at someone. The calm that rises when you should be spiralling.The quiet courage to make the hard phone call.The sudden compassion you didn’t manufacture.The reminder, “You’re not alone in this.” Sometimes He’s loud. A surge of joy in worship. A clear word in prayer. A bold prompting to speak. But more often, He’s the steady Presence in the background of your day, saying, “Let’s do this together.”

So what if the goal for today isn’t to escape the ordinary…but to meet God inside it?

What if traffic isn’t wasted time, but a space for communion? What if dishes aren’t a burden, but a moment to pray for your family? What if meetings aren’t just stressful, but a place to ask the Spirit for wisdom before you speak? What if school runs are holy ground because you’re carrying souls, not just backpacks? Colossians says, “Whatever you do…do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.” That’s not a command to be weird. It’s an invitation to live with a sacred lens. To learn the simple habit of whispering, “Holy Spirit, I’m aware You’re here.” And when you do, the ordinary becomes a doorway. Not because it changes, but because you do.

The Spirit doesn’t wait for your life to slow down. He meets you in motion.“In him we live and move and have our being.”So you can move through Monday with a quiet confidence: God is not somewhere else. God is here.

Everyday action

Pick one ordinary moment today, just one.

• the next red light

• the next load of dishes

• the next meeting

• the next school run

When you enter it, whisper: “Holy Spirit, I’m aware You’re here.”

Then do that moment with Him, not on your own. That’s how companionship becomes a lifestyle, one ordinary minute at a time.

Prayer

Holy Spirit, teach me to notice You in the ordinary parts of my life. Open my eyes to Your presence in traffic, in conversations, in chores, in meetings, in the places I usually rush through or resent. I invite You into my day, into my thoughts, my words, my pace, my reactions. Walk with me, shape me, and make every day a place where I love like Jesus. Amen.