Unmasked | Gifted | Ordinary People

“Friends, why are you doing this? We are merely human beings–just like you!”  Acts 14:15

If anyone had reason to flaunt his supernatural abilities, it was Paul. After Jesus saved Him and transformed him from a Christian-killer into a Christian-maker, He then empowered Paul with gifts of healing, prophecy, and discernment. On one occasion, Paul saw a crippled man with faith to be healed. So he commanded the man to stand up. And he did! The crippled man was healed instantly. The people watching immediately began trying to offer sacrifices to Paul and Barnabas, calling them gods in human form. Instead of being flattered by the attention, Paul was horrified and insisted that he was no superhero. He was simply an ordinary man doing extraordinary things through the power of Jesus.

Ordinary people are God’s specialty. Throughout the Bible, God did extraordinary things through people who seemed ordinary. A few got the big head because of it and God had to remove them from position. But the ones like Paul and Barnabas, who recognized that everything good in them was because of Jesus, did extraordinary things. God is still specializing in ordinary people. But He expects us to remember where our power comes from. When we flaunt our successes or pretend it was our own brilliance or talent that accomplished great things, we are no longer useful for God’s purposes. The more gifted we are, the more we need to humble ourselves to Him and others so that God can trust us with His extraordinary work.

Final Thought:  When God does extraordinary things through ordinary people, we must remember to give Him all the credit.
Prayer: Lord, I am tempted to bask in the glory light whenever you accomplish something extraordinary through me. Help me to remember to stay humble, no matter how incredible your work is. All praise and glory belong to you. In Jesus’ name, Amen