“Now glory be to God! By His mighty power at work within us, He is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream…” – Ephesians 3:20 (TLB)
Sometimes, as believers, we look at our lives and only see the ordinary – ordinary abilities, ordinary circumstances, ordinary routines. We say things like, “God wouldn’t use me in such a manner, I can’t speak like this person, or I am not intelligent enough or as well-known as this other person.” Yet, several Scriptures remind us that God delights in taking the things considered of little worth and transforming them into the extraordinary (1st Corinthians 1:27).
What seems small or insignificant to us is valuable to God, and He often starts by using what we already have in our hands. What, therefore, should be our posture in order for God to transform us?
- Faith: When we believe beyond the shadow of doubt that God can use whatever little we have, He breathes His power upon it. Gideon believed in God. He defeated the Midianites with just three hundred men (Judges 7:7-8). Faith, therefore, is the bridge between the ordinary and the miraculous, and turns ordinary acts into extraordinary testimonies.
- Humility: God works through those who depend on Him. When we humble ourselves and acknowledge that we need God’s strength to get us through a situation, He shows up and miraculously provides. This is evidenced in the account of the poor widow and the jar of oil in 2ndKings 4:1-7.
- Obedience: The servants at the wedding in Cana obeyed Jesus’ instruction, though unusual, to fill jars with water (John 2:1-11). Their obedience turned an ordinary task into a miracle. In this instance, the extraordinary came about due to a small, simple act of obedience.
We can safely conclude that God transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary when we adopt the correct posture: faith, humility, and obedience.
We are encouraged, therefore, to stay connected to the Source (God), walk in gratitude, and serve faithfully, as each day offers an opportunity to let God shine through us. We must stop doubting God’s ability to use us for His honour and glory and declare, with a clearer understanding, like the songwriter, “If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me…”.
Prayer
Dear God, forgive us for all the times we doubted that You can work through ordinary people like us. Help us all to position ourselves by being humble, obedient, and full of faith. Take our ordinary lives and use them for Your extraordinary purposes, in the mighty name of Jesus, Amen.
Read: John 2:5; 2 Corinthians 4:7
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 119:49–56; 1 Timothy 2; Jeremiah 35; Jeremiah 36; Jeremiah 37