Read Luke 2:1-3

Life often feels shaped by the big moments—major decisions, unexpected crises, significant turning points. But the story of Jesus’ birth begins in the most ordinary way possible: with a census. A government decree. People traveling to their hometowns to fill out paperwork. Nothing about the opening verses of Luke 2 feels supernatural or spiritual. Yet behind these routine details, God was weaving the most extraordinary plan the world had ever seen. Advent reminds you that God is often most at work where life feels the most ordinary.

Mary and Joseph didn’t feel like they were walking in divine purpose. They were responding to political pressure, dealing with travel inconvenience, and navigating the discomfort of a late-term pregnancy. Their journey wasn’t glamorous—it was gritty and real. And yet God was guiding every step. Your life may feel full of routines or responsibilities that seem disconnected from anything “spiritual,” but those are often the places where God is quietly and powerfully at work.

It’s easy to assume God moves only in moments of revelation or dramatic transformation, but Luke wants you to know He also works in the mundane. He works through schedules, commutes, appointments, paperwork, and everyday obligations. The census was not a holy event, yet God used it to bring Mary and Joseph exactly where He wanted them—Bethlehem, the place where prophecy would be fulfilled. Nothing is too ordinary for God to use.

This truth offers comfort when life feels repetitive or unremarkable. God isn’t only present in worship gatherings, mountaintop experiences, or spiritual breakthroughs. He’s present in your kitchen as you wash dishes. He’s present when you fold laundry, sit in traffic, or answer emails. He’s present in your neighborhood, your classroom, your workplace, and your routines. The ordinary becomes sacred when you recognize His nearness.

If God used something as mundane as a census to position Jesus’ birth, imagine what He might be doing through the seemingly ordinary parts of your story. Advent invites you to slow down long enough to see that God is already here—already working, already guiding, already preparing. He doesn’t wait for extraordinary conditions to accomplish His purposes. He steps into the ordinary with extraordinary love.

Reflection Questions:

• What ordinary parts of your life feel far from “spiritual”?
• How does God’s use of the census encourage you about your own routines?
• Where might God be working quietly in your daily responsibilities?
• How can you shift your mindset to notice His presence in the mundane?

Journaling Prompt:

Write about the routines or responsibilities that feel the most ordinary to you. Invite Jesus to show you how He is present and active in them.