Have you ever heard the proverb, “You can be too big for God to use, but you can never be too small”? I am certainly not against people leveraging their popularity for God’s glory. God can use “big names” for His purpose, but the “big name” that really counts is the Lord Jesus Christ.
God uses quite ordinary people to do great things. You may never have a big name, but you can be a hero. In A World without Heroes, George Roche defines heroism as “an extraordinary act of goodness, performed by ‘ordinary’ persons from whom we do not expect it” (Hillsdale College Press, 1987, p. 23) Your name never being widely recognized is no justification for living an inconsequential life.
Contemporary United States culture may fixate upon celebrities, but God’s kingdom work is usually accomplished through the dedicated obedience of ordinary people. Ordinary people will always be the incalculable majority of the people in the church, but God uses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things.
“Now remember what you were, my friends, when God called you. From the human point of view few of you were wise or powerful or of high social standing.” (1 Corinthians 1:26 GNT)
Nehemiah was ordinary guy. He had a respectable job and enjoyed living in a royal retreat area, King Cyrus’s summer palace. Nehemiah was trustworthy; no world leader wants to be poisoned. As the royal cupbearer, tasting the food and drink before the king, Nehemiah had unique access to the king. But don’t forget his job could be done by thousands of others. A cupbearer to a Persian king is quite replaceable.
But when this ordinary man heard about the condition of Jerusalem, he was deeply moved. Notice his first response, “When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven (Nehemiah 1:4 NIV)”
He sought God’s guidance and looked for God’s opportunity. The walls were still broken, the city disgraced, the rubble had been there six decades, but Nehemiah felt like he could do something about it. What boldness! He didn’t let his servant status hinder his trust in Almighty God. The day arrived. Nehemiah found favor with an earthly monarch because Nehemiah had already found favor with the monarch of heaven.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking of the saints of Scripture as superheroes with superpowers unique to them. Think about the backgrounds of the some of the people God chooses to use.
If you took a heavenly roll call, the group would include an Egyptian castaway turned sheepherder, a shepherd boy whose best friends were criminals, an abandoned widow and her mother–in–law, a broken older woman whose only home was the temple, a carpenter whose hands were cracked and calloused, a common Jewish girl, a brawny fisherman, a tax collector, a prostitute, and a prideful Pharisee.
You may be thinking, What a group! Looks as if God would have chosen people of nobility. The truth is, He chose those very people, common in social status but uncommon in spirit, to change the course of history. . .
Common people doing uncommon things. God isn’t looking for polished social giants; He is looking for people who are available and willing to trust Him.
Whatever your past holds, it is no match for God’s grace. Tell Him you are available to be used by Him, and you will be surprised at the work He gives you to do. (Charles Stanley, Enter His Gates, 1998, July 11)
God works through ordinary people to carry out His work in the world. Yield your life, rely on Holy Spirit empowerment, get involved, and don’t quit. Do any of you remember Danniebell Hall’s 1977 hit “Ordinary People”? I close singing the chorus:
God uses ordinary people
He chooses people just like me and you
Who are willing to do as He commands
God uses people that will give Him all
No matter how small your all may seem to you
Because little becomes much
As you place it in the Master’s hand (Birdwing Music)
