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God Uses Ordinary People

  When we think about the people God uses to accomplish His work in the world, it’s easy to assume they have to be extraordinary—the most qualified, the most talented or the most influential. But when we look at the way Jesus called His first disciples, we discover a very different reality.

  In the Gospels, Jesus hand-picked twelve individuals to follow Him and help lay the foundation for His Church. At first glance, this group wasn’t particularly impressive. Among them were fishermen like Peter, James and John—ordinary men who worked incredibly long and difficult hours just to make ends meet. There was Matthew, a tax collector, seen as a traitor by his own people. Simon the Zealot likely had a checkered past as a political extremist. Others in the group are so obscure that we know little more than their names.

  Yet, despite their diversity, limitations and imperfections, Jesus called them. He saw potential not based on their qualifications but on what He could accomplish through them. In fact, their very ordinariness was part of the plan. As Paul later wrote to the church in Corinth, “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong” (1 Corinthians 1:27).

  The calling of the disciples reminds us that God often uses those we would least expect to carry out His purposes. He delights in working through ordinary, broken people because, through their weakness, His power and glory are made manifest.

  This truth is deeply encouraging for us today. It means you don’t have to be the most polished, the most educated, or the most put-together person to make a difference in God’s kingdom. God can and does use people just like you and me—people with doubts, past mistakes, and limitations—to accomplish His work.

  If you’ve ever felt unqualified, take heart. The pages of Scripture are filled with people like Peter, Matthew, and Simon—people with ordinary lives and complicated stories—who were invited by Jesus to follow Him and be part of something far greater than themselves.

  The same invitation extends to us. God isn’t waiting for you to have it all together. He’s calling you now, just as you are, to walk with Him.  God’s purpose is to help you grow to be more like Christ, refining you and enabling you, by the power of the Spirit, to be part of His work in the world. Through His power and grace, ordinary people can fulfill an extraordinary purpose.