The Extraordinary Work of the Ordinary People - Ps. Muneshwar Pooja

God chosen me from an ordinary family, not highly educated. But he placed me in the place of ministry where I can be recognized as God’s child to carry out His work of ministering to the people in need of salvation.

Many People called by God for ministry are ordinary whether they are bible college students, teachers, pastors, evangelists, worship leaders, apostles, or administrators, preachers. A person to be in the ministry is a plan of God. Many times the people called for leadership, ministry or any form of servant hood or to study in Bible College faces difficulties in various areas like learning the word of God through different language, speaking and adjusting to the environment and culture where God has placed them.

For this reason, they get discouraged, depressed, feel unworthy, weak, underestimated when they look at the high qualified in theology, well-spoken, intelligent, highly powerful and influential, wealthy person around them. Because the people chosen by God are sometimes from the poor and common families, not very well educated and they will be tempted to think that they are not capable, weakest, insufficient, and unworthy for God’s calling.

Sometimes as a bible college student and ministers of God, we are often tempted to think It would be so amazing if a world athlete, popular TV actresses, singers, ministers would become Christians. Jesus never looked for the popular people or talented, rich persons when He chose His disciples. But he chose simple fishermen, tax collector though they were not very famous and rich persons. There was nothing so great for them in their lives and they left everything and followed Jesus Christ.

The Word of God says: 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 Corinthians 1:26—29)

Paul is talking about the membership of the Corinthian church. He reminds them that there were very few members who were wealthy, highly educated, and powerful when they believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul says ‘Consider your calling brethren that is to show the saving call of God, which is most effective that results in redemption of mankind. Paul is reminding Corinthian church member about their past life before God calling them out of darkness.

Paul states that their calling to become the child of God was not dependent on their abilities and talents, their wealthy position or intelligence or power. But God has saved them and accepted them as His child because of His grace, not because of their intelligence, and wealth. Considering the flesh, mighty and noble not many people are wise and they should be pleased about this. Intelligence, power, might of a wise person according to the flesh will not give a sense of need that leads him/her to salvation. Those who were wise, noble, intelligent are many then few people would have been saved.

So, dear friends when you are facing big challenges in the field of your servant hood, ministry and leadership it is not a problem but an opportunity to show that God‘s strength manifests in you. You are not led by your own but by the mighty God which confirms the perfect plan of God and will of God in your lives.

When we talk about Moses he did not agree to go before the pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt. He considered himself a man who cannot speak properly and weak.

There are so many peoples who were ordinary but God chose them and they did extraordinary things for God not by their own might, power or intelligence but by the help of God and God’s strength.

Here, I will present particularly a great personality of Moses among so many God chosen people: Moses – Moses was a murderer. He was not able to speak properly. When God called Moses. He gave many excuses. Still God did not leave him but made Him a leader to the Israelites. God changed a shepherd man into a leader who lead the Israelites forty years in wilderness and became a great leader, and stood as an example for all the generations.

Some of the Examples:

Old Testament:

· Abraham – Father of Nations

· David – Shepherd became king of Israel

· Joseph- Shepherd became king of Egypt

New Testament

· Mary – Blessed Women of all generations who gave birth to the eternal king Jesus

· Peter – Fishermen to the great apostle of Jesus

· Paul – Great Persecutor of the Church became a full time missionary and wrote most of New Testament books.

These are only some of the glimpses of how God used common people but there are so many people God used extraordinarily. We will know about hem when we study the whole Bible.

As God has chosen so many people in the past and used extraordinarily. He has chosen you and me, though we are weak, ordinary, not talented or not famous. Still God is ready to use us for His glorious service. We also need to be ready to get involved in God’s plan and purposes for our lives.

Remember that God is not looking for highly educated, millionaires, scholars, or famous doctors, engineers and lawyers to save and to do His work. Nor is He looking entertainers or statesmen. His salvation is open to everyone but not based on high position or degrees, but only on the same basis of faith. Most of the people boast about their position , degrees, intelligence, wealth and achievements which keeps them ahead in the world but behind with God. Pride that comes from the wisest according to the world and dependence on their accomplishments and abilities could keep them from the kingdom.

As per human standards, whatever is weak is weak, intelligence is intelligence, outer strength that they see is the only considerable. According to God strongest things are the weakest and the weakest things are the strongest, and some of the seemingly wisest things are the most foolish. This is the principle of awesome God. You need to be aware that you’re a precious chosen instrument of God to reach the people with gospel.

A person who in illiterate, untalented trusted in Christ as savior, who is faithful and humble follower of Lord is hundred times wiser than a brilliant Ph.D. who mocks at the gospel. The simple believer knows God’s word, forgiveness, hope, and life and grace forgiveness but an unbelieving Ph.D., on the other hand, knows nothing beyond his books, his own mind and experience. He can be considered as foolish.

We need to always keep in mind that our strengths and weaknesses, inadequacy, incapability really doesn’t matter for God. God has chosen the people in the past who were willing to submit to his authority – Abraham, Jacob, Moses, a David, as Isaiah, a Jeremiah, a Mary, a Peter, a Paul, a Matthew. At Present YOU and ME.

God can use every common person mightily. You just need to believe that He can use you and be courageous enough to stick to the goals He has put in your hearts. Because Human beings can only see outer appearance and ordinary things in ordinary people but God can see extraordinary things in ordinary common people.