There are times when Ive wondered, "Why and how does God take an ordinary
individual and accomplish extraordinary things?" As an example, think about
Moses. Heres a reluctant guy with a speech impediment that has excuse after
excuse about why he isnt the man for the job. And yet God was able to use
Moses to lead the Israelites out of bondage to freedom in the Promised Land.
Then theres strong-willed, volatile Peter who denied he even knew Jesus.
And not long after that, God used Peter to stir peoples hearts as he
preached the first Gospel sermon on the Day of Pentecost and the Church came
into existence.
Why did God continue to pursue these two ordinary guys to accomplish such
awesome tasks? Because in spite of their insecurities, they had a heart to
serve the Lord. They were eventually able to overcome their fears and
mistakes so that God could work through them. This gives me hope since Im
an ordinary guy trying to live for God.
How about you? ... Do you ever feel like youre simply an ordinary person and
that it would be highly unlikely that God could accomplish anything great
from your life? Well look out ... because God has a way of teaching us as He
prepares to use us mightily in His Kingdom.
Listen to 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 from Eugene Petersons The Message. "Take a
good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I
dont see many of 'the brightest and the best' among you, not many
influential, not many from high-society families. Isnt it obvious that God
deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and
abuses, chose these 'nobodies' to expose the hollow pretensions of the
'somebodies'? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with
blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we have -- right thinking
and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start -- comes from God by way of
Jesus Christ. Thats why we have the saying, 'If youre going to blow a
horn, blow a trumpet for God.'"
You see, God can and will use us not because of what we are, but in spite of
what we are. Yes its true, ordinary Christians have extraordinary
potential. ... Are you ready and willing for God to use you? See you in Bible
class this week. :-}
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