Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Let's be ordinary.

Some days, I don’t think I should be doing this. I feel uneducated, afraid that there’s some box of knowledge I am supposed to be pulling Biblical wisdom out of for you, but it is locked. And I am too simple, too culturally bent, too ordinary.

But then I read Acts 4:13.

In the verse, Peter and John stand accused in front of the Sanhedrin. The religious rulers of the day are angry and looking for a way to stop the growing ministry they see blossoming before their eyes. Something is wrong though, when they see Peter and John, something is amiss. Here is what verse 13 says:

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

I wanted to hug that verse on Monday night when I read it. Do you see it too? It’s so simple and beautiful.

The thing I am afraid of, the fear I have of being too ordinary or unschooled is the very thing that amplified the truth of their faith. The combination of their courage with their history revealed that these two men, Peter and John, had been with Jesus.

I may be ordinary. I may not have all the answers or the longest, most intelligent sounding words with which to weave a blanket of warm knowledge. But when I am courageous and embrace my seemingly ordinary stature, the light of Christ does not grow dim.

No, oh no. It glows brighter. It shines boldly. It beams from my very face.

And that is my call to you today.

Come, let’s shine.

Let’s be ordinary.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

i have been frequenting this and your other blog, and i am extremely encouraged by your posts... and pursuing degrees might take away the time to actually be involved in ministry... be encouraged, as you have encouraged me...

brooke said...

I can be ordinary. I am so encouraged when people confirm that we aren't supposed to be some sort of Christian superhero... that it's not possible or necessary.