Did You Ever Feel Like a Donkey, Ordinary and of not Much Use? 

Dear Family,

God uses the ordinary. When Jesus needed a ride into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, he chose the ordinary. Nothing fancy, or dignified about a donkey. What I know about donkeys is that they are awkward, stubborn, and well, not very intelligent to say the least.

In his well-known poem on the donkey, G.K Chesterton makes the donkey reply to those who might sneer or laugh at him:

“Fools! For I also had my hour;

One far fierce hour and sweet:

There was a shout about my ears,

And palms before my feet.”

Whatever Jesus touches, even if it is a donkey, He gives sacred worth and dignity, and no matter how despised a person or creature might be, Christ has a use for him or her.

Did you ever feel ordinary, maybe like a donkey? You are not exceptional in any particular area. You don’t have any unusual gifts or talents and mediocrity seems to be the measure of your existence. If so, you are in good company. Most all of us have felt like this, or maybe still do, and yet it was through ordinary people that God has done extraordinary things.

John the Baptist never performed a miracle, but Jesus said of him, “Among those born of women there is no one greater” (Luke 7:28). His mission was to be a “witness to the light” (John 1:8), and that may be your mission and mine. All John wanted to do was be a voice and a light that would cause others to think about Jesus. What greater mission could anyone have than that?

Epaphroditus was a giant of a man, but few, outside of the ranks of Bible teachers, could immediately identify his significance.  He brought a gift from the Philippians to Paul while he was in prison, and he stayed to assist him and to meet his needs. He nearly died in carrying out his mission (Philippians 2:20).

How many of us know the name of the person who was used to convert Billy Graham, or the one who entered a shoe store one day and led Dwight L. Moody to Christ?  Do you know who taught Martin Luther theology or who discipled George Mueller, and snatched him from a sinful life, or who helped the great hymn writer Charles Wesley get underway as a composer of hymns? For the most part they remain anonymous, but you better believe that God knows their names.

Think of the ordinary people that God has used throughout history. He used a slave named Joseph to save his family, a shepherd named Moses to lead Israel out of bondage into the Promise Land, a farmer named Gideon to deliver Israel from Midian, and a shepherd boy to be Israel’s greatest king . . . I think you get the point. God can use anyone, no matter how ordinary they appear to be.

God is not primarily concerned about bigness, all-time records, or status. His giants are ordinary people who do their best at whatever God calls them to do because they simply love Christ.

If Christ makes use of a despised animal such as a donkey, he surely can and will make much great use of you or me, and if he doesn’t, the only reason will be because we choose not to let him!

Today God is looking around for ordinary people to do extraordinary work. Most of us are ordinary, so most of us qualify. Now let’s get busy and allow God to use our ordinary gifts and talents to do extraordinary things for the kingdom.

Yours in ministry,

Pastor Tom