Glimpses of Truth
Ordinary – No!
Every day it seems I encounter someone new. That is, someone that I haven’t’ had any real dealings with. God has given to me the privilege to have various activities and opportunities. Sometimes I’m very much aware of the challenges, and at other times I’m probably just overwhelmed by the vast things to accomplish.
But it’s the people which are most important in my daily activities. I like people, just ordinary people. Yet I’m reminded of the words of C.S. Lewis, “There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal.” Well, there’s some real truth here, because we are all a special creation of God.
The “Good News Publishers,” who print a lot of Gospel tracts, print a little tract entitled, “You Are Extraordinary.” Now do you believe, really believe, that about yourself? In today’s society, we are bombarded on every side by those who not only do everything but are the best at what they do. It seems as though it diminishes our abilities and efforts. It seems to kind of put us in our place. Okay, what is our place? We all have different fingerprints, DNA, physical appearances, voices, personalities, habits, intelligence, personal tastes – you make your list. Thank goodness you’re different from me. Yet we have the same Creator, Who is able to make us all unique.
God has always been in the picture, even though there have always been those who have tried to erase Him from the picture. That’s really where we run into all of our trouble in life: I mean, when we take God out of the picture. That might be evolution. It’s more than “might” be. The Christian faith has always been under attack, give it what name you wish - anything, everything which would destroy the idea that God is our Creator and Keeper; anything which would mock the idea that Adam and Eve ever existed, much less disobeyed God and committed sin; anything which proclaimed a message that Jesus came to redeem us, provide for us what we could not do for ourselves.
Remember this uniqueness which I spoke of? It all gets down to a practical, personal, unique relationship with our living Savior. It’s not what I can do for you or what you can do for someone - because you are extraordinary. You get to share in His creation. Awesome, isn’t it? It’s awesome just to consider how the shepherd boy David, while sitting out under the stars, was aware that God was “mindful of him.” It brought David to the place of saying, “I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” It’s just awesome.
No, I’m not here by chance. I didn’t start as some tapeworm and evolve to Tarzan’s monkey. I’m not here by blind chance or struggle. God spoke this world into existence. He is our Creator.
People! Yes, I like people - just ordinary people. But the God of Creation has a plan for His people. All ordinary people like me have separated ourselves from God by sin (rebellion). But because Jesus came, now we have the opportunity to become extraordinary. Our rebellion and brokenness can be made whole by the Master. We really can become God’s Masterpiece.
