Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20
If you were to assemble a group of people who could change the world and provide your message with credibility, whom would you choose? If you had to entrust a handful of individuals with starting a movement and carrying it on long after you were gone, where would you look to fill your roster? You would pinpoint the best of the best: the titans of industry, the brightest minds, spiritual gurus, celebrities, innovators, and scholars. Instead of reaching out to the ordinary, you’d probably shoot to assemble the extraordinary.
But, like always, Jesus does the exact opposite when He’s in the same situation. Look at the motley crew, better known as The 12 Disciples. Peter, Andrew, James, and John were fishermen. Matthew was a tax collector. Simon was an unsuccessful revolutionary. The rest of the disciple’s professions were mostly unknown but were probably tradesman of some sort.
Rather than calling the wise, Jesus sought the unwise. Instead of the strong, He intentionally chose the weak. The disciples having “ordinary” jobs was a telling sign. It meant they couldn’t cut it in religious circles. All the other rabbis overlooked them. They weren’t religious scholars, scribes or Pharisees. Yet, these individuals helped spur on a movement that has impacted this world like nothing else.
And, let’s take it a step further. Not only did Jesus call ordinary guys to be part of His inner circle, but He also had compassion for the broken, outcast, overlooked, and marginalized. They were the people He called his friends.
That same calling applies to you. God welcomes you to be part of His Church. Not only does God invite you, but also He sees YOU as a critical piece of the puzzle of making His name known. 1 Corinthians 1:27 says, “God chooses the weak things of the world to shame the strong.”
Often, our justifications for sitting on the sidelines are because “I don’t know enough,” “I’m not talented enough” or “I don’t have it all together.” My response to those excuses would be: welcome to the club. None of us have it all together. Each one of us stumbles and fails. God didn’t choose you because you are perfect, but because you are willing to serve and be used. So, today embrace being an ordinary individual, but one who carries the message of the extraordinary love of Christ. What are the excuses you use to justify not stepping into your calling of being the church?
Prayer: Father God, thank you for choosing me. In my weakness, You are strong. Lord may I be willing to serve You humbly. I might be ordinary, but Your love is extraordinary. Help me respond to your call with no excuses. Let that love be what guides my steps. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
