Ordinary People Can Do Extraordinary Things!

Dear Pilgrim,

I listened as you outlined your responsibilities at home, including taking care of your family, the everyday activities you do. In your own words, “I am an ordinary person; I wish I was a gifted person who does exceptional things.”

Pilgrim, I want you to know that, there are many out there, who feel they are also ordinary persons engaged in 'little things.' Well, for those who feel that they are among the ranks of the nobles, congratulations. For the “ordinary” people,” you may be living an average life; still feel that you haven’t fulfill some purposes in your life. It is also possible that you are considered “no good” and sometimes called “a failure” in the eyes of your peers, and your family.

Don’t cave in, Pilgrim, because God uses his people to do extraordinary things. I learned God doesn't take most of His workers from the ranks of the wise, mighty or noble. First Corinthians 1:26 says, "For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called."

Over the course of the month, Bishop Darlingston Johnson of Bethel Outreach Church spoke on four topics: I will be with You; Becoming God’s Man of Valor; Take Your Stand; and The Sword of the Lord, with focus on Supernatural Victory. In his sermons, Bishop Johnson cited many stories from the Bible, including the birth of Jesus. A popular story, yet some of the key points from the story gave another twist to why God chose Mary. Mary was not a scholar; from all we know, she did not come from the lineage of priestly scholars; she was not wealthy; she was a young, ordinary woman getting ready to be married to a regular carpenter, but God chose Mary to be the mother of the Messiah, Jesus.

Now listen to this Pilgrim. Do you know the first people who went to see baby Jesus? Not the scribes, not religious leaders. No, no, not the Jews either. It was ordinary Shepherds, who carried Gold (wealth) myrrh (anointing oil) frankincense (perfume). The ordinary Shepherds were called and delegated for the extraordinary mission, and they heeded the call. Bishop Johnson concisely illustrated the visit by these ordinary Shepherds: They came; they saw; they worshipped. ‘Why did they worship, what else did they see,”

Bishop elaborated, [Quoting] “John said, ‘the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory.’ Bishop Johnson explained, “The word became flesh means God became man. Bishop continued to describe what the Shepherd saw in Mary’s baby: “Divinity clothed itself in humanity; power dressed itself in weakness; greatness wrapped itself in smallness; the supernatural hid itself in the natural and extraordinary. As they [Shepherds] looked at this ordinary child in the midst of the ordinary surrounding, they saw at another level. Everyone saw a child and saw a baby boy, they [shepherds]looked at humanity, and saw divinity.”

The Shepherds accomplished extraordinary things, because they were seekers after God.

Bishop Johnson also simplified the book of Judges Chapter 6 and 7, which focuses on Gideon, an ordinary man, whose clan was the weakest in Manasseh. Gideon was also the least in his family. Gideon was no warrior. When the Angel of the Lord approached Gideon; he was working his harvest in a secluded area to hide from the Medianites. Gideon an ordinary man was called, and commissioned by God to bring deliverance and freedom to Israel. And he did! Gideon didn’t use swords. With some trumpets, jars and a few faithful men, and acknowledging that the battle was the Lord’s, Gideon delivered Israel.

Let’s move to another story, my dear Pilgrim. Do you remembered the story of David the Shepherd boy who became king? Do, you know that David was not groomed to be a king? David was the least and smallest in his family, left to take care of animals, while his brothers fought in the army. God did extraordinary things through David because David obeyed and trusted God.

Also, in the book of Matthew, Jesus used the ordinary lunch of an ordinary boy to miraculously “feed 5000.” The boy willingly gave his lunch, when asked to share his meal, and an extraordinary thing was accomplished that day. This story brings to mind a verse, I inadvertently came across, and cherish: Proverbs 20:11.

At the close of his sermons, Bishop Johnson told the congregation that, they are the ordinary people God is willing to use for extraordinary things, but they must be willing to say “yes” to His calling! “Each of you is ordinary in the same way that David, Moses, Timothy, Amos, Jeremiah, Paul, Peter and John, were ordinary. It is the ordinary God chooses to work through and with ordinary people like you and me to accomplish His will in the world.”

He explained that, people look at the outward appearance but God looks at the heart. In the case of David, the Shepherd boy, he had a heart for God, which is why God chose him for extraordinary things. What this demonstrates is that God’s choice may not always be the a famous person, or a wealthy person, instead it is the person with a heart for God. God can use anyone regardless of their lofty credentials, who they are or what they know. God is good at using the unlikely, even in our lives. The Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12:7, “when I am weak, then I am strong.”

My dear Pilgrim, at the end of the four sermons, I began to contemplate, “how do we begin living right?” How do I begin living right? Like Gideon, we may be asked to tear down idols – idols of attitudes of selfishness, words that dishonor, including judgmental words, and condemning words.

I also learned from Bishop’s sermons that blind faith or faith abruptly driven into will fail. But a faith of reasoning is a faith that sees the emptiness of human reasoning, and stands every trial. That leap of faith in the light helps us to say, and to begin to grow in believing that “the battle is the Lord’s”. As I conclude this communication, I am beginning to deduce that when we begin to learn to see beyond the ordinariness in others, we will encourage others; we will see great potential in others; we will begin encourage others, we will empower others, and we will praise others for their successes.


I will begin today. Today I will go home and say: “You are a hero, God is with you!” I will pick up my phone, and call someone, I will say hello to that person, I will encourage that person, I will hear a potential in that person's voice. Perhaps my call will uplift that person’s spirit.

What will you do?

always,
musue