Never Ordinary

https://odb.org/MY/2021/10/08/no-such-thing-as-ordinary

We are all called by God for a specific purpose, blessed with our individual talents and our unique personality and character. As we allow God to mould us, we are not only transformed to a better person, more holy and set apart for Him; but we are also more equipped and “trained” to serve Him better. Our transformation is not only for our relationship with God but also for the specific purpose He called us to, for the work that we do for Him as He moves our hearts.

Thus, I always believed that in Christian service and ministry, there is no need to strive for recognition. Actually it may be better if we are unknown as fame may puff us up. In the Bible, as there are named people and people whose life stories are highlighted to show how God related to them as an example for future generations, there are also thousands and thousands of unnamed saints and there are probably millions and millions of unpublished stories of the miracles, of the goodness and greatness of God. There are probably millions doing their part for God, playing their unique role for the Kingdom that not many will know about. But those who directly benefit from their faithfulness and their tireless ministries will know. God knows. So long as someone is blessed and God knows, that’s good enough. We plough on in our Christian walk as we push on doing what we do best for God. Our steadfastness and our doggedness in doing what we do best for God is probably not ordinary. The same way as a husband will continue to visit his wife who is inflicted with Alzheimer’s who doesn’t recognise him anymore, the same way we will continue doing what we do best for God. Why would the husband do that? Because he still recognises her. Why would we do what we do for God? Because we recognise this is God’s calling for us. We know this is our role, this is the part we play in this whole scheme of things. The fact that nobody knows us may be better and Jesus had taught before that we have to be last to be first. If we continue at God’s call for us for days, months and years and perhaps until the day we die, how can we be not, not ordinary? If we clean the church toilets for 50 years when we are already in our 70s, how can we be just ordinary?

I have seen extraordinary people serving God before. Like a pastor who preached to a single person congregation or a preacher that preached a powerful and inspiring message in an evangelistic rally with 2 attendees. Or people who continue to meet as a congregation or fellowship when there were only two. Or the person who made the unleavened Communion bread and prepare the Communion drink Sunday after Sunday for months and years. Or the pastor that preaches from the pulpit Sunday after Sunday for 3 weeks in a row for years. Or the prayer warrior who prays and intercedes for everyone in the congregation two hours every day without fail. Or the generous person who gives a portion of her income to charities and NGOs that feed the poor and that help the needy. There are many among us and we are never ordinary although most are doing things in anonymity, unknown to the public or even the Christian world. We are neither called Apostle or Prophet or Doctor or Professor or Reverend. We may just be an ordinary member in the church, but our lives in God are, in reality and in the eyes of God, never ordinary at all!

God values our dedication, faithfulness and tenacity more than our superlative skills or talents whether as a preacher, teacher, evangelist or our prophetic or apostolic ministries. If that’s our calling in God, strive on. Be a good and faithful servant! Push on towards the goal that Christ had set before us heavenward, forgetting what’s behind. Continue to do what we do best for God! Never give up – as disciples of Christ, we are a bunch of extra ordinary people!