The Christmas story demonstrates how God can use ordinary people. Luke 1: 26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David.[1]
Jews in Jerusalem thought the Jews living in Galilee had too many contacts with the Gentiles. Nazareth was on a major trade route and so routinely interacted with Gentile traders and Roman soldiers. The disciple Nathanael voiced his scorn for Nazareth. John 1:46 “Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” [2]
Society did not hold youth and females in high regard. A man had to be thirty years old to hold a leadership position. A woman was a second-class citizen. While Mary and Joseph were descendants of King David, they held no official position in society. In fact, they seem to be poor. Yet, Gabriel came and gave Mary a surprising announcement: She would be the mother of Jesus.
God Uses What Culture Despises
Scripture has other examples of surprising people God used:
Moses – Exodus 4: 10 But Moses pleaded with the Lord, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.” [3]
Gideon – Judges 6: 15 “But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!” [4]
Jeremiah – Jeremiah 1: 6 “O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!”[5]
Peter and John – Acts 4: 13 The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.[6]
God Can Use You
You may feel that you don’t have any useful talents. Or perhaps you have limited experience and education. Yet God can use you. God can use ordinary people, and He loves to do so because it is His glory that shines through.
1 Corinthians 1: 26 Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. 27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important.[7]
God’s call may seem overwhelming, but God Himself will enable those He calls to fulfill His purpose. Isaiah 41: 10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. [8] Take God’s hand and let Him use you so others will see and give God the glory. To learn more, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/the-gift-of-relationships
[1-8] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.