Even the "ordinary" is extraordinary

Hebrews 11 has long been known as the "Hall of Fame" of Christian faith. Throughout the course of the chapter Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and even Rahab, the prostitute from the story of the Israelite conquest of Jericho are given their own verses. Interestingly though, Samson, Samuel and even David are only named. Once more, a multitude of others are implied as having suffered cruelly for their faith. None of the major prophets are mentioned by name, although I believe Elijah is alluded to, as tradition holds that he was sawn in two (used in 11:37).
This chapter isn't meant to be all-inclusive and I believe that's great news for you and I. We must never forget all of those who have come before us. We literally stand on the shoulders of these giants of faith. We remember them, admire them and most importantly seek to emulate their faith. Hence their inclusion in the Word.
Yet, I've always wondered why a harlot received a verse but David only gets a mention. Could it be because even the socially outcast, even the downtrodden, even those who make poor decisions are able to be used by God IF ONLY they will step out in faith and listen to the call of God?
I think there are other lessons to learn here. For some reason, in our culture, we tend to seek that which is sensational and glamorous. This line of thought even permeates our views of personal testimonies. We tend to want to hear stories of both maximum degradation and massive redemption. We tend to want to hear of celebrity and high-profile conversions. Those type of stories are both captivating and inspiring. While I believe that they are both of merit and laudable, I believe that we can tend to overemphasize them at the cost of deemphasizing that which could best be deemed as ordinary.
For example, a person led a life that they knew was incomplete and in need of change. One day they decided to attend church and in the process of this were changed by a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. They then go on to live for 50 years, all the while faithfully attending church, living a life pleasing to the Lord. They die and then go on to their eternal reward. In contrast, you hear about a celebrity who lived a life of debauchery. They were drug users, womanizers and rabble rousers. This person then fell on hard personal times and when they were in the gutter, they cried out to God and were delivered from their own personal pits and now live an exciting and inspiring daily walk with Christ out loud. Now I ask you? Which life story is more exciting? Well, hands down, the celebrity story will be the one that people want to hear, the one that'll sell books and the one that'll pack out churches and theaters during speaking tours. Is this necessarily bad? Not really, but it can paint an unrealistic picture of conversion.
I don't think I'm out of line by saying that for every one spectacular story, there are hundreds of ones that could be described as mundane. Yet, should we think that for one second one story is more important in the eyes of the Lord than another? We are told that even angels rejoice at the conversion of one person who receives the Lord. Furthermore, precious is the death of his saints in the eyes of the Lord. At what point does it say that there are positions of prominence in the heavenly reception?
I have a picture currently up of Johnny Cash and Billy Graham. I have this picture up for both the comparison and contrast of their two lives and for the ways in which their lives became intertwined and examples of the redemptive power of Jesus Christ. I'm sure the reception was great for Johnny when he went home and I can't begin to imagine what it'll be like when Billy goes home. Yet, will it be anymore so when any other believer goes? Or is that even the point?
The same application may be made in the realm of personal testimonies. Because our testimony may be mundane, we are less apt to share it with others. We justify this inaction because we don't want to bore or we don't want to be thought of as drab. However, I believe that this inaction only serves to stifle the potential that lies inside of the lives and testimonies of us all. I have some news for those who think their stories are typical. A typical story is still atypical! The sad truth is that narrow is the path that leads to deliverance and wide is the path that goes to destruction. In other words, only a very few actually are called to make the leap of faith. That is not a point of rejoicing, because frankly, I believe that we should never be pleased when a person dies in their sins. However, we should rejoice and delight in the favor that we have been shown. We should be so happy that we long to share that joy with others. This should be through both our lives that exhibit that joy and our words which describe it.
Our typical story is still something that is so wonderful and special. It can still be used to glorify God and to bring others to Christ. As has been the theme lately, one can NEVER know the ways in which the Holy Spirit may be glorified or choose to work through the lives of those who allow it to happen.
Just remember one thing, the next time you are tempted to think that you are merely ordinary, you are wrong. You are extraordinary! Your testimony may not be "Movie of the Week" material, but it is no less consequential in nature. Even though you may never receive the recognition or notice in this life that you even may deserve, remember that "God is not unjust; he will not overlook your work and the love that you showed for his sake..." (Hebrews 6:10, NRSV). Therefore, never fail to seize the opportunity to let others know what God has done for you. In fact, you may very well be able to reach people that the more spectacular in testimony may alienate. Remember, there is no competition in both soul-winning (because the work of redemption is carried out by God) nor in strength of testimonies (each are saved through the blood of Christ alone!) Never, never, never underestimate the power of God (remember the post on miracles? Your own story is just as great of a miracle as the story of the blind man receiving his sight!)
On that note, I just want to take the time to welcome all of you who have added this blog. I am both thankful and humbled by that. Thank you for your comments and even more for your prayers. If you know of others who might enjoy this or be blessed by it, please by all means invite them. If you know of folks who don't know the Lord and might benefit from anything here, please invite them in. Anybody that wants to contribute, please do. This is a team effort! I pray that this blog is of use to you and may bless you in some small way. If you have been, please take a moment and drop a line to make that known. All comments are welcome! Have a blessed weekend and upcoming Sabbath day!!