BUT I'M JUST SO ORDINARY
One Wednesday night, I asked my congregation some questions:
1. How many of you played Division 1 college athletics? No hands went up.
2. How many of you were valedictorian of your class? Four hands went up. (I have a smart church!)
3. How many of you were voted most likely to succeed? A couple of hands went up.
4. How many were voted most beautiful or most handsome? No hands went up, except mine. (I was runner-up most handsome in 9th grade, but I was home schooled.)
5. How many of you were in Who's Who? A couple more hands went up.
6. How many of you have not raised your hand yet? A ton of hands went up.
You know what that test proved? It proved that the vast majority of God's people are just ordinary folks. They are NOT extraordinary. They are just ordinary.
ORDINARY PEOPLE
Jesus chose 12 disciples - ordinary men. His inner circle consisted of Peter, James, and John. They were fishermen, not physicists. They were "uneducated and untrained men" (Acts 4:13). They were ordinary, not extraordinary. And that is precisely the way the Lord likes it!
"For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are, that no man should boast before God" (1 Cor. 1:26-29).
Notice this verse says, "NOT MANY." It does not say, "NOT ANY." There are some in God's family that are extra special individuals in the areas of wisdom, might, and nobility. Paul was the chief of sinners, but he had a keen mind unlike any of the other apostles. He could run circles around Peter intellectually. His pedigree was stellar. But, when you stop to think about it, most of God's people are like Peter, not Paul. They are just regular, ordinary folks. (The elite of this world tend to be far too proud to humble themselves before Jesus of Nazareth and admit their desperate need.)
WHY CHOOSE THE ORDINARY?
You know one of the BIG reasons why the Lord chooses the ordinary? Because He loves to do extraordinary things through ordinary people. When you see extraordinary things take place through ordinary people, all the glory goes to God. It just HAS to be God because an ordinary person can't pull off something that extraordinary!
When young David whipped the Giant, Goliath, with a sling shot and a stick, all the glory went to God. How else could he have won? It MUST be God! If the New Orleans Saints whip the Indianapolis Colts this Sunday, it is one champion versus another champion -- one extraordinary team versus another. But if my town's Pleasant Grove seventh grade B team whips the Colts, people would say in amazement, "WOW! That MUST be from God."
DON'T BE DISCOURAGED
If you are ordinary, you are in the majority. If you are sometimes foolish, often weak, and deemed unimportant in the eyes of the world, REJOICE!! God can do His greatest, most impressive work through you. Yield to Him today. Let Jesus sit on the throne of your life and live through you. You will be amazed at the difference He will make.
And remember in your weaknesses, He says, "My grace is enough for you; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness"(2 Cor. 12:9 AMP).
Praise God for your weaknesses. Praise God that you are ordinary. He does His best work in ordinary people! Let Him start in you today.
Love,
Pastor Jeff Schreve,
From His Heart Ministries
Dr. Jeff Schreve believes that no matter how badly you may have messed up in life, God still loves you and has a wonderful plan just for you. From His Heart provides real truth, love and hope on over 700 radio stations each day, in 182 countries each week on TV, and is always available online. Pastor Jeff takes no income from this ministry. All donations go to furthering the broadcast outreach. As a listener/viewer supported ministry, we thank you for joining with us to help speak the truth in love to a lost and hurting world. Go to www.fromhisheart.org for more information.
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