ORDINARY IS GOOD

It is within human nature to want to be extraordinary, to stand out from the crowd, to be special.  The world system elevates some people over others.  God does not.  People are all unique but that does not result in anyone being special or extraordinary.

I read in my devotional reading today that “Mary is no ordinary woman”.  I disagree; Mary is an ordinary woman and I believe that is why God chose her to bring Jesus into the world.  Mary was favored by God for her faithfulness to God, just as all of His children are favored for their faith. 

God created human beings, not extraordinary people.  My relationship with Him doesn’t make me extraordinary.  It makes me faithful and true to how I was created in His image; nothing more, nothing less.  Only God is extraordinary.

Pride and self sufficiency cause my flesh, my human nature, to see myself as more than ordinary.  Even Jesus had to have that dealt with in his encounter with Satan in the wilderness before he began to share his message and his ministry.  All of the disciples were exposed for their pride and self sufficiency by Jesus before his crucifixion.  His death on the cross brought that lesson home to all of them.  God uses ordinary and broken people whose pride and self sufficiency have been crucified on the cross of life.  I am to bare God’s image, not mine.  I am ordinary; He is extraordinary.

As I look back over my hurtful and difficult experiences in life, I can see those experiences as a necessary process of breaking me, as a horse needs to be broken before it can be ridden.  It needs to submit to the bit, the bridal, and the saddle, just as I need to submit to the yoke of God.  In that submission is complete freedom to be me; not he rebellious, wanting to stand out to get attention brat my human nature often wants me to be.  I am content and at peace being ordinary, being no one special.  I actually find myself in good company as I read the Bible and connect with generations of other ordinary people who found favor in the sight of God but remained no one special to the world.