Ordinary People
By Susan Klein
“He had no beauty or majesty to attract
us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him.”
Isaiah
53:2b (NIV)
Have you ever felt just plain old “ordinary”? You get up every
morning, amble through basically the same routine, and return to bed at night,
only to repeat the process the next day. Oh sure, there are the occasional
special events like weddings, funerals, vacations, and the like… but for the most
part, your life seems fairly ordinary. Do you ever dream of accomplishing
something more significant, something more “out-of-the-ordinary”?
Let me introduce you to someone rather ordinary. He grew up in a
small town, lived in a modest house and didn’t wear designer clothes. There was
nothing significant that would make him stand out in a crowd; no fabulous
looks, special athletic abilities or business accomplishments to speak of. He
worked as a common laborer with his dad, hung out with common folks, and never
made a name for himself by amassing great wealth or entering into politics. He
got up early, worked hard all day, and retired at night, only to do it again
the next day. He just lived life. Sound familiar?
For the first 30 years of His life, our Lord, Jesus Christ, was
an ordinary human being much like the majority of people today. God intended
for Him to be that way. Though He posessed the power of God and could perform
miracles in His latter years, He still spent much of his time having people
look down at His “ordinary-ness.” He once dared to speak publicly in His hometown
only to have the neighbors question, “Who does this guy think he is? Isn’t he
just Mary and Joseph’s son, you know that carpenter guy? Where does he get
these lofty ideas? He’s nobody special.” His disciples were ordinary men, too.
He chose them that way. He came to earth to live among the common man. But, in
each moment of His ordinary life, He wasted no opportunity to be somebody to
someone. He spoke encouragingly. He ministered to those he encountered along
the way. He took time out to just “hang” with other ordinary folk. Nothing and
no one were insignificant to Him.
How about you? Do you find significance in the people and things
God has placed before you? Can you see God at work behind the scenes of each
seemingly ordinary day? Do you sense His presence in your boredom as well as
your accomplishments? Will you recognize that each moment is a significant
moment, and choose to be used by God in your “ordinary-ness”?
GOING
DEEPER:
1.
How has God used an ordinary experience in your life to do something
extraordinary?
2.
Are you watching for opportunities?
FURTHER
READING:
Susan is a We Women
Bible Study Coordinator and one of its teachers. She and her husband Mark enjoy
tutoring and working with inner-city youth.
