Did you know you're an MVP?
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I read an encouraging quote on being ordinary. It said, "We meet no ordinary people in our lives. If you give them a chance, everyone has something amazing to offer."
Wow! That means as ordinary as I am, I have something extraordinary to offer God, and so do you.
Did you ever feel ordinary? Maybe you are not exceptional in any particular area. Or, you don't have any unusual gifts or talents or abilities and mediocrity seems to be the measure of your existence. If so, you are in good company.
Most all of us have felt like this, or still do, and yet it has always been the case that God uses ordinary people like you and me to do extraordinary things for the Kingdom.
John the Baptist never performed a miracle, but Jesus said of him, "Among those born of women there is no one greater." (Luke 7:28)
His mission was simply to be a "witness to the light." (John 1:8), and that may be your mission and mine as well. All John wanted to do was be a voice and a light that would cause others to think about Jesus. What greater mission could anyone have than that?
Epaphroditus was a giant of a man, but few outside of the ranks of Bible teachers could immediately identify his significance. He brought a gift from the Philippians to Paul while in prison, and then he stayed to assist him and to help bring him comfort and encouragement. In doing just this, Epaphroditus nearly died in carrying out his mission (Philippians 2:30).
How many of us know the name of the person who was used to convert Billy Graham, or the one who entered a shoe store one day and led Dwight L. Moody to Christ? Do you know who taught Martin Luther theology or who discipled George Mueller and snatched him from the pit of hell, or who inspired the great hymn writer Charles Wesley to compose great church hymns? For the most part these unknown witnesses remain anonymous to us, but you better believe that God knows their names.
Think of the ordinary people that God has used throughout history. He used a slave named Joseph to save his family, a shepherd named Moses to leadIsrael out of bondage into the Promise land, a farmer named Gideon to deliver Israel from Midian, and a shepherd boy to be Israel's greatest king...I think you get the point. God can use anyone, no matter how ordinary they appear to be.
God is not primarily concerned about bigness, greatness, or all-time records. His giants are ordinary people who do their best at whatever He has called them to do because they love Christ. You are God's MVP (Most Valuable Person), and if you don't accept that honor, then you have totally missed the point of this message.
God is looking for ordinary people who He can use to do extraordinary work, so let's get busy and allow Him to use our ordinary gifts and talents to do extraordinary things for the Kingdom. And don't be surprised at what He might do through you.
 | Tom Crenshaw serves as Connections Pastor of the New Monmouth Baptist Church (non denominational) where he previously served as a three year interim.He has been married to Jean for almost 50 years, and they have four children, all of whom are teachers.Tom loves perennial gardening, umpiring high school baseball, coaching baseball and football, fishing for small mouth bass, rooting for his favorite team, the Cleveland Indians, and listening to ‘real’ country music, the classic kind. Learn More » |
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