I’ll never forget the day I saw my second-grade teacher washing her hands in the bathroom.
I was appalled. I thought, Teachers don’t need to wash their hands in the bathroom! What is she doing in here? I couldn’t imagine my teacher would need to do such ordinary things. In my 7-year-old mind, I had unknowingly categorized her as super-human, forgetting she was a person just like me.
But she was.
Have you ever thought we may have the tendency to do the same thing when reading the Bible? Moses, Noah, Abraham. . . we tend to elevate them to a place of extreme superiority: a place free from the mundane, temptation, failure, or just everyday life.
Perhaps we unknowingly categorize them as superheroes.
Yet, listen to how James describes Elijah the prophet: “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth” (James 5:17). Did you catch that? Elijah was not super-human. Despite Elijah’s unthinkable power in prayer, he was a man with a nature like ours. He had good days and he had bad days. We have good days and we have bad days. Nevertheless, we should never let bad days or even bad weeks steal the incredible confidence we can experience before God in prayer. We can approach God with confidence (Hebrews 4:16). And, the basis of our confidence is NEVER our own good. It is only through what Jesus Christ has done (Hebrews 10:19). I'm convinced that God is not looking for super-hero saints. He’s looking for ordinary people who are pining after Him, hungry for His presence, and bold enough to get on their knees and ask Him to move on their behalf. Like Elijah, and like you and me. It's the ordinary life intersecting with the Almighty. If you’ve lacked confidence in prayer over the last few weeks, months, or even years, don’t disqualify yourself from praying with power. Guilt only wastes time. Remember the example of Elijah, “He was a man with a nature like ours.”
Come before God and boldly pray His promises. "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him." 2 Chron. 16:9
Donna, your message of being extraordinary while being ordinary resonates so much, I've been thinking about it for almost 2 weeks! Also, the image you picked for this one is perfect! Love the lonely storm trooper trudging out into the desert, probably suffocating in his mask of sameness and anonymity, perhaps wondering if he should turn back to join his fellow clones. But with so much not right in the world, there has to be more to life than mindlessly following orders to help build some power-greedy guy’s empire. The storm trooper senses a “force”—a great power that invites. Humility to God’s great power coupled with the focus that comes through prayer builds confidence in His power to work in…
I love how you encouraged me to want dig deeper for pearls hidden in Gods Word!
So thankful for ordinary examples of those who love God in extraordinary ways. Great reminder, Donna!