Living the Epic Life

e-pic life: seizing every moment as an opportunity to make God glorious

So I talk about adventure. It’s exciting, inspiring, exhilarating… it makes me believe I can change the world. I don’t want to just drift along doing the “normal” thing because it’s “normal.” I don’t want to waste time on empty things. But how do I live the “epic life” when it sometimes seems I am indeed just doing “normal” things? Cleaning out the attic at home or running errands for my family may sometimes feel inconsequential compared to leading a Bible study or going on a mission trip.  Does that mean I’m not living the epic life? Well, if it does, it’s because I’ve taken it as my responsibility to write the dictionary.

What does “the epic life” actually mean?  How do we live it?  Part of the secret is summed up in one word: 

Perspective. 

God does not have empty plans for me. He never wastes my time. Never. If Jesus is my Master, then from His perspective, anything He’s set before me to do is His epic plan.  Do I actually believe He planned good works for me since before the foundation of the world? (Eph. 2:10) He’s not looking and saying, “Whoops, my bad… I'm still working on the schedule for this season in your life.” Sometimes I miss it. I just don’t recognize it because I’m looking for something else.

The epic life is not just teaching the truth to thousands or writing a bestselling book. It’s not just going to Africa and seeing hundreds come to Christ. Yes, these things are definitely epic--but there's more. The epic life is encouraging someone who’s having a tough day and feels like giving up. It's choosing to speak the truth in your heart even when your emotions, your experiences, and your peers say otherwise. It's loving the "normal" people around us in deed and in truth. In essence, the epic life is seizing every moment as an opportunity to make God glorious. 

These are victories in the heavenlies. 

When we make God glorious in the trials and in the everyday things of our lives, we showcase to the angels and the demons that what Jesus did for us is reality. It's legit. =) Ephesians 3 explains, “To me…this grace was given…to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord” (v. 8,10-11). This is huge--and it applies to every situation in our lives. 

The big idea? Perspective. Making beds can go from being just a menial task to preparing a place for refreshment, for dreams, for visions, for encouragement. Joseph (Mary’s husband) saw an angel that changed the course of his life and sent their family to Egypt…while he was in bed. And I’m pretty sure Pharaoh was sleeping in a bed when he had his dream about the famine. Other things like practicing or teaching music can become not just an activity, but a part of ushering others into the presence of God through skillful playing. David was chosen to play before Saul because he was skillful (1 Sam. 16:16). And get this: there's going to be feasting in heaven! Making good meals is not a waste of time. Look for the perspective. Jesus is King of the "ordinary," the "mundane." He was born in a stable. He did a lot of walking, carpentry, fishing, talking with people... and all this was in His Father's perfect will for Him.

As we walk along the way, God may put "bigger things" in our paths. I certainly don't intend to undermine daring great things for God, but rather to encourage embracing His kindness and plan in every task He gives us. We can have this confidence: He's called us to be faithful, and He said that he who is faithful in little is faithful in much (Luke 16:10).

He's seeking hearts that are completely His. He wants us to love Him with all our hearts wherever we are--whether that's as a janitor or as a president. And God has quite the history with "normal" people! He chose the shepherd boy, the fisherman, the blind man, the repentant woman to make Him glorious.

Living in Jesus is the epic life... and it's all just the beginning of an epic eternity.