The Power of Ordinary People: God's Extraordinary Plan

God Will Use Even You: The Power of Ordinary People in God’s Plan

Have you ever felt like you’re not enough? Not talented enough, not smart enough, not successful enough? Do you ever look at others and marvel at their accomplishments and wonder if you’ll ever do anything that significant?

If so, you’re not alone. Many of us struggle with feelings of inadequacy and insecurity, especially when we compare ourselves to others. But the good news is that God doesn’t work the same way we do. He doesn’t choose people based on their talent, intelligence, or success. In fact, God often chooses the most unlikely people to do his work.

The Power of Ordinary People

Throughout the Bible, we see God using ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Moses, a stuttering shepherd, was chosen to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. David, a young shepherd boy, defeated the giant Goliath and became the greatest king in Israel’s history. Peter, a fisherman, became the leader of the early Christian church.

And it’s not just the famous heroes of the Bible that God uses. He also uses everyday people like you and me. In 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, Paul writes:

But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.

God chooses the weak and the foolish to shame the strong and the wise. He chooses the low and the despised to bring down the proud and the powerful. Why? So that no human being might boast in the presence of God.

God’s power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). When we feel inadequate and weak, that’s when God can use us the most. When we recognize our own limitations and rely on God’s strength, that’s when amazing things can happen.

The Example of Gideon

One example of this is the story of Gideon in Judges 6-7. Gideon was an ordinary man from an ordinary family, and he saw himself as weak and insignificant. But God saw something different in Gideon.

When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and told him to lead the Israelites in battle against the Midianites, Gideon was skeptical. He said, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house” (Judges 6:15).

But God didn’t see Gideon the way he saw himself. God said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man” (Judges 6:16).

God gave Gideon some unusual instructions for how to choose his army. He told him to send home all the men who were afraid, and then to send home all the men who drank water in a certain way (Judges 7:3-7). In the end, Gideon was left with just 300 men to fight against an army of thousands.

But with God on his side, Gideon and his small army were able to defeat the Midianites. God used an ordinary man and a small army to do something extraordinary.

The Call to Ordinary People

So what does this mean for us? It means that God can use even you. It doesn’t matter if you feel weak, foolish, or insignificant. God sees something in you that you may not see in yourself.

God has a plan for your life, and it’s not based on your talent, intelligence, or success. It’s based on his grace and his power. As Paul writes in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

We don’t earn God’s favor by our own achievements. It’s a gift that we receive by faith. And when we recognize that, it takes the pressure off of us to perform or achieve. We don’t have to be the best or the brightest. We just have to be faithful.

As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:26, “For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong…”

God has called us, ordinary people, to be a part of his plan. He wants to use us to do something extraordinary. And when we rely on his strength instead of our own, amazing things can happen.

The Importance of Obedience

But it’s not just enough to recognize that God can use us. We also have to be willing to obey him. When God called Gideon, he didn’t just sit back and wait for God to do everything. He had to take action.

First, he had to tear down his father’s altar to the false god Baal (Judges 6:25-32). This was a risky move, as the people in his town were likely to be angry with him for doing this. But Gideon obeyed God, even though it was difficult and dangerous.

Then, he had to gather the army and prepare for battle. He had to trust that God would be with him, even though he was vastly outnumbered.

And when the time came to fight, Gideon and his army didn’t just sit back and wait for God to do everything. They had to take action. They blew trumpets and smashed jars, causing confusion and panic in the Midianite camp. And then they attacked (Judges 7:16-22).

God uses ordinary people, but he also requires obedience. We have to be willing to take risks, to step out in faith, and to do what God asks us to do. When we obey, God can use us to do something amazing.

Conclusion

God can use even you. You don’t have to be the smartest, the most talented, or the most successful. You just have to be willing to obey God and rely on his strength instead of your own.

So don’t let feelings of inadequacy or insecurity hold you back. Don’t compare yourself to others and think that you have to measure up to their achievements. God has a unique plan for your life, and he wants to use you to do something amazing.

As Paul writes in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

With God’s strength, even ordinary people can do extraordinary things.