Good morning, my brothers!  A man who spent his life washing dishes discovered a secret many Christian men miss. Learning to live in God’s presence, abiding with Him at all times, can transform ordinary moments into daily communion. Let’s go!

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Faithful in the Ordinary

He never led a revival meeting. He never preached to packed churches or wrote a leadership manual. He did not plant churches, build an organization, or gather followers around his name.

Brother Lawrence washed dishes.

I was first introduced to his little classic, The Practice of the Presence of God, early in my walk with Jesus. It didn’t impress me with complexity. It confronted me with simplicity. And that simplicity has followed me for years.

In a small 17th-century monastery in France, Brother Lawrence spent most of his life in a kitchen. It was hot in the summer and bitterly cold in the winter. The floor was slick, the pots were heavy, and the demands never stopped. Meals had to be prepared on time. Other monks needed to be served. There were interruptions, pressure, noise, and repetition.

And yet that kitchen became holy ground.

Not because it was quiet. Not because it was impressive.

It became holy because Brother Lawrence refused to separate any part of his life from God’s presence.

He talked to God throughout the day. Not just during formal prayers. Not only in structured devotion. He prayed while chopping vegetables. He thanked God while scrubbing pans. He whispered dependence as he carried heavy pots from one station to another.

He once wrote that he felt as close to God among the clanging pots as he did on his knees in prayer.

That line challenges me every time I read it.

Because if I am honest, I still tend to divide my life into categories. There is the sacred part. Church. Quiet time. Prayer before meals. Teaching a Bible study. Then there is the rest of life. Meetings. Travel. Emails. Parenting. Fatigue. Pressure. The places where I sometimes rely more on myself than I do on Him.

Brother Lawrence refused that division.

For him, there was only one life. And God was present in all of it.

God’s Original Design

This is not some forced discipline. Not another “to do” on an already full list. It is a return to God’s original design.

In Genesis 3, we read that Adam and Eve heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. That verse implies familiarity. It suggests that walking with God was not rare. It was normal.

God’s design was constant fellowship. His people enjoying His divine company, speaking humbly and lovingly with Him in every season and in every moment.

Sin fractured that communion. Adam and Eve hid among the trees. Separation replaced fellowship.

But the cross was not just about forgiveness. It was about restoration. The tearing of the veil was an invitation back into presence.

The question is not whether God is near.

The question is whether we are living like He is.

Our Drift

As we’ve discussed these last few weeks, most Christian men are not hiding from God in open rebellion.

We are drifting in distraction.

We wake up with good intentions. We may begin the day in Scripture and prayer. But somewhere between the first meeting and the last obligation, we quietly start carrying everything ourselves.

We manage pressure. We solve problems. We absorb stress. We make decisions. We rarely pause to speak with Him in the middle of it.

When things go well, pride creeps in subtly. We feel capable. Independent. Strong.

When things go poorly, anxiety tightens its grip. We feel alone. Responsible for fixing everything.

Without realizing it, we begin living as if everything ultimately depends on us.

That is exhausting.

The Return to Presence

Practicing the presence of God pulls us back from that pattern.

It is not about adding more religious activity. It is about ongoing communion.

It is speaking with Him in real time. Thanking Him when something succeeds instead of absorbing the credit. Asking for patience before responding sharply. Admitting fear before it hardens into control.

It is remembering that He is with us in the boardroom, in the carpool line, in the tension of a hard conversation, and in the quiet of a late night.

And it’s rejoicing in Him in the mundane – the chores, the errands, and the quiet.

When we live this way, our identity stays anchored. We belong to Him before we perform for anyone else.

Responsibility does not disappear. But separation does.

The Fruit of His Presence

Over time, this rhythm produces something our generation desperately needs.

Christlikeness.

Not hype. Not emotional spikes. Not occasional intensity followed by collapse. Christlikeness in marriage. Christlikeness in leadership. Christlikeness in private battles no one sees.

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 3:18 that as we behold the Lord’s glory, we are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory.

  We become like what we consistently behold.

When we live aware of His presence, we reflect Him more clearly. Our tone softens. Our reactions steady. Our humility deepens. Our courage strengthens.

Not perfection. But a quicker return to Him when we do fail.

Practicing His presence keeps the heart warm, repentance quick, and humility close. It guards us from pride in success and despair in struggle.

And perhaps most importantly, it makes the ordinary sacred.

Most of our lives are not dramatic. They are built in the mundane, ordinary tasks of life. If we cannot meet God in the ordinary, we will spend most of our lives feeling spiritually distant.

But when we walk and talk with Him throughout the day, the commute becomes communion. The meeting becomes holy ground. The kitchen table becomes a place of fellowship.

We were not saved to visit God occasionally. We were restored to walk with Him. Just like Adam and Eve, before the fall. And just like Brother Lawrence some 200+ years ago.

And as we do, we become men who look more like Jesus. Men who carry His presence into a world that is tired, anxious, and searching.

Brother Lawrence never led a revival. But he became a man transformed by presence.

And brothers, we are on this journey together. We, too, can be transformed by His presence. True abiding.

Right here. In the ordinary.

Take It From Head to Heart

Let’s not leave this as a good idea. Let’s move it into practice.

1. Where in your daily routine are you most likely to drift into self-reliance instead of speaking with God? What would it look like to intentionally invite Him into that space this week?

2. When things go well, do you instinctively thank God in the moment, or do you quietly absorb the credit? How can you build gratitude into your immediate reactions?

3. In seasons of stress or disappointment, do you tend to withdraw inward or turn outward to Him? What would “returning” quickly look like in your current challenge?

4. What three ordinary moments tomorrow can become intentional touchpoints of communion with God?

5. If someone observed your life for a week, would they recognize that you have been with Jesus? Where is God inviting you to grow in visible Christlikeness?

Brothers, this is not about perfection. It is about presence. Not about guilt for yesterday, but hope for today.

He is with us. Always.

Let’s walk with Him. Daily. And become transformed more into the image of His Son. Truly, more the man God has called us to be.

-WIll