You can learn a lot about God from doing regular things like taking the trash out or watching TV. What does Cheers have to do with the will of God?

When we talk about being in the residence of God, it means being like God and living according to what He requires of those who dwell with Him.

For example, on my street, we put our trash out on Thursday mornings for pickup. That is what we do because that is where we live. It is the rhythm of our residence. If I tried to pretend I lived somewhere else and put my trash out on Monday, it would just sit there all week. Why? Because that is not how things work here. Those are the rules of our neighborhood. It is what is required of the people who live on this street.

In the same way, when we live in the residence of God, we are expected to live according to His ways. James reminds us of that:

“What use is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,’ yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? In the same way, faith also, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.”

James 2:14-17

James is essentially saying, you have got to actually help people! And yet, how often do we stop at saying, “I will pray for you”? Do not get me wrong, prayer is powerful and beautiful. But what if someone else is already praying for that person, and you are the answer to that prayer?

What if the miracle someone is asking for is you doing something small but meaningful? God is still in the business of miracles. But sometimes, I think He is inviting us to join in on the family business. He is saying, “You want to see miracles? Get in on it. Participate.”

To participate, though, we must live in the will of God. That means doing what He asks, even when it does not make sense, even if it feels small or insignificant. Because someone else may have been praying for exactly what you are about to do.

Lately, I have been watching some old shows at night, and I caught an episode of Cheers. Now, it might seem strange to bring up a sitcom set in a bar, but hey, maybe our slogan should also be, “Where everybody knows your name.”

There was this episode where a man walks into the bar having a crisis of faith. He is supposed to become a monk, but he feels like he cannot do it. He thinks there is no greatness in him. He is ready to give up, drown his sorrows, and walk away from his calling. Everyone in the bar is trying to talk him out of it.

Then, in a moment of frustration, he slams his hand on a broken self-playing piano, and suddenly it starts working. Everyone is amazed. They say, “That thing has not worked in 20 years.” And in that moment, he believes it is a sign from God. He leaves the bar inspired, determined to answer his calling.

But afterward, as the bar celebrates, the older bartender, Coach, says, “Wow, that was just inspiring.” Then someone asks him, “Wait, you did not fix that piano, did you?” Coach replies, “Yeah, I got it fixed two days ago.” Why would he feel inspired if he knew he fixed it?

Coach says, “I do not know. Why did I all of a sudden decide to have it fixed?”

Sometimes, what seems small or random to us might be a miracle for someone else. That is the mystery of living in the will of God. We may do something simple, like fix a piano, and not even realize that God is using it as an answer to someone’s desperate prayer.

Living in God’s will means obeying, even in the little things, and trusting that God can use every part of our lives, even the background pieces, to make a difference. Regardless of whether we get to see the outcome or not.

Bob Mumford teaches that signs from God are helpful but not ultimate. They show we are on the right path, not that we have arrived. Mature faith grows beyond dependence on signs and instead learns to follow Christ’s peace and abiding presence. In time, guidance becomes an almost unconscious response to the Spirit’s gentle leading.

When I first moved into my house, I did not know the roads. Now, years later, I know every little cut-through and loop. The more time we spend in the residence of God, the more we grow to understand and recognize it.

The more time we spend with God, the less we find ourselves desperately looking for every little sign. We already know the road. We already know the voice. We are already aligned with His will.

You become like the place where you reside, whether it is your phone, your community, or the will of God. Are you obeying the rules of your residence?