There’s something powerful about realizing that God doesn’t need our perfection to use us, just our willingness.
When I sit with His Word, I’m reminded that the gospel was never meant to be carried by the famous, the polished, or the theologians alone. It was entrusted to ordinary people like you and me. People with messy stories, busy schedules, and imperfect faith. Yet somehow, God chooses us to carry the most extraordinary message the world has ever heard.
Reminder
Always try to remember that people may not be as “advanced” in their walk with Christ as you are. Some may not even know Him at all, even if they say they do. This is where we need to set aside our own pride and consider others greater than ourselves. We need to meet them where they are and speak the truth in grace.
Reflect:
Am I meeting people where they are, or expecting them to meet me where I am in my faith?
Sharing the Gospel
Unschooled, Uneducated, and Ordinary
Some of us think it’s the pastors, preachers, evangelists, and well-educated individuals who are the ones that should spread the gospel of Jesus. We think because our résumé doesn’t reflect that of a theologian or someone who has sat numerous hours in seminary, our voice and what we have to offer isn’t impactful enough.
We tend to look at our lives and think: “Well, I’m just a blue-collar worker.”
“I have a family to feed and a life to maintain.”
“I have a hectic schedule.”
Or any other reason we can come up with that would prevent us from walking out our purpose.
We usually look to the influencers of the world and say, “I don’t have the time like they do,” or “They’re already doing it, I can just agree with them.”
We then take the things God has revealed to us as personal information and never share them with the world.
And maybe there’s even some of you that say, “Hey, I just wanted my sins forgiven. I didn’t sign up to share the gospel and tell other people about Him.”
That’s usually when we lean on the preachers, pastors, and teachers to share the goodness of God, all those people who are “more educated” or possess “far greater skill” than we do.
We think we’re just ordinary people and believe that God wants the best-presented, most intelligent, and sharpest people in the world to speak about Him.
But that’s not true.
Reflect:
What lies have I believed about being “unqualified” to share Jesus?
Where might God be asking me to speak, even if I feel ordinary?
The Great Commission
Matthew 28:18–20
The church isn’t something you just “go to.”
It’s a place of kingdom-minded individuals that come together in agreement. It’s not a place to spectate, but to participate.
It’s not a box you check off on your Sunday to-do list so you can watch from the sidelines.
It’s a place where you get in the game and learn to exercise your gifts.
When Jesus came and gave this commission to the people, it was to a group of individuals who were common, ordinary people. It was a group of ragtag individuals who came from different backgrounds. There were no well-put-together, eloquent, or super-wealthy individuals in the group. No political leaders or well-known celebrities. Just a group of individuals who committed themselves to follow Jesus.
Reflect:
Do I treat church as a mission field or a meeting place?
Fishers of Men
Matthew 4:18–22; Luke 5:1–11
Here’s Simon...just an ordinary guy trying to run a fishing business.
Simon had fished all night with no success and was giving up, mending his nets, when Jesus stepped into his boat and asked him to let down his nets once again.
Jesus then supplied Simon with an overflow of fish, so much that Simon had to call for his friends to bring their boat over as well. There were so many fish that the boats began to sink. Simon had great gratitude toward this, and Jesus said, “Follow me, and I’ll make you fishers of men.”
Simon (Peter) had just had a record day in his business. He could have sold those fish and possibly had the best year of his life! But he didn’t. He dropped everything right there and followed Jesus.
Ever heard the saying, “Give a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day. But teach a man to fish, and he’ll eat for a lifetime”?
Simon (Peter) realized that this man, Jesus, had given him fish for the day, but he couldn’t just let Jesus pass him by. He knew Jesus had something that would fulfill everything he needed.
If we’re being honest, how many of us would have had a record-breaking day in our business and still dropped everything to follow Jesus instead?
It’s hard to look at the abundance in front of us and have faith in the unknown.
But if we can look through the same lens Simon Peter had—“I don’t just want the fish for the day, but for a lifetime”—then our response changes.
He didn’t ask Jesus, “What are the qualifications for this?”
He just did what Jesus asked of him. Jesus let him know what his life would now look like: going after other people for Christ.
He didn’t promise him another record-breaking day. He didn’t promise him comfort, or wealth, or ease.
He simply said, “Follow me.”
And Simon Peter gave Him his yes.
Pray:
“Lord, help me trust You more than what’s in front of me.
Teach me to trade my comfort for calling, my nets for Your name,
and my success for Your service.”
The same way Simon Peter was commissioned to follow Jesus and to be a fisher of men is the same commission we are to answer today.
I think we as the church have failed some of the congregation because I feel most people don’t see themselves as someone who is capable of sharing the gospel and leading someone to Christ. I feel the majority of churchgoers go to church just for the act of “going to church,” but leave the spreading of the gospel to others whom they feel are “more qualified.”
We, as a congregation, have looked up to pastors on stages or celebrities that are well-known, influencers with thousands of followers, or reputable theologians with more degrees than a thermometer, and we get slightly intimidated by that. We think to ourselves that we’re not good enough, or that the things God has done in our lives aren’t sufficient enough to impact someone else’s life.
We start believing these people must have something that we don’t.
I think we also sometimes lose sight of who the disciples actually were.
We look to them and think, “Wow, they must have been so smart or had something special about them,” that would allow them to do what they did. After all, they’re the ones in the Bible, right?
But if you look at Acts 4:13, it says:
“The council members were astonished as they witnessed the bold courage of Peter and John, especially when they discovered that they were just ordinary men who had never had religious training. Then they began to understand the effect Jesus had on them simply by spending time with Him.”
There’s an effect that Jesus has on your life when you spend time with Him.
It’s not about your résumé, accolades, or achievements—it’s about the pure relationship and devotion you have with Him that gives you the courage and boldness to step out in faith to tell others about Jesus.
Following Him is what qualifies you to speak about Him.
There are countless stories in the Bible of Jesus using ordinary people to spread the good news. He can use anyone who is willing.
Reflect:
Where might I be holding back because I think I’m “not enough”?
How has time with Jesus already changed me in ways I could share?
Let’s also not get caught up in whether what you share will be received or rejected.
Sometimes it will be received well, and other times it won’t.
1 Corinthians 3:6–8
“I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose, and both will be rewarded for their hard work.”
So what does this mean?
We’re not to get caught up in whether or not the message is received. We are called to plant the seed or water the seed—and then God ensures it grows.
Maybe we share the gospel with someone who has never heard it before and they reject the message. That’s okay, you planted the seed. Later in life, someone else may come along who stirs that seed again and waters it. God then causes it to grow, which leads to salvation.
Each of you (the one who planted and the one who watered) did the work the Lord gave you, and God gets the glory for it all.
Reflect:
Who might God be calling me to plant a seed with this week?
Am I willing to trust Him with the growth?
So Where Do We Start?
Asking a Question
Most of our conversations start with a question.
It’s normal for us to say things like: “Where are you from?”
“What brings you in today?” “How’s your day going?”
But for some reason, we believe sharing the gospel is more complicated than asking a simple question.
If I’m being honest, I think it’s because sometimes we don’t actually care about other people’s lives. We have our own stuff going on. We’ve lost our curiosity about others and made life more about ourselves.
When we’re willing to ask others a question from a genuine place, we can begin to understand their story, and that helps us represent Jesus well on this earth.
It all starts with love.
John 13:35
“Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples.”
If we are true followers of Jesus, then we must love one another.
Reflect:
When was the last time I showed genuine curiosity for someone else’s story?
It’s no secret that most people in this world don’t really care about others’ stories.
We tend to say things like, “That’s none of my business,” or “I have my own problems to worry about.” But asking simple questions can lead to much deeper conversations.
There’s a story about a woman at a well. Jesus asked her, “Will you give me a drink?” (John 4:7) That simple question turned into a life-changing conversation.
“Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.’”
The woman said, ‘Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.’
This woman was tired, it was the hottest part of the day, and she was alone. She’d been doing this for years. She was weary, isolated, and longing for something more. Jesus didn’t just give her what she asked for. Even though it was exactly what she was searching for, He wanted relationship. He wanted her to know Him.
But first, He helped her see her reality.
“He told her, ‘Go, call your husband and come back.’
‘I have no husband,’ she replied.
Jesus said, ‘You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband.’” (John 4:16–18)
She didn’t want to face her situation. She tried to withhold details to make her life look more “put together.”
How often do we do the same?
How many times have we walked into church or a gathering, someone asks, “How are you doing?” and we reply, “Good,” when we’re not?
Jesus didn’t shame her. He sat with her in compassion.
And through conversation, she became curious, and that curiosity opened her heart.
At the end,
“The woman said, ‘I know that Messiah is coming. When He comes, He will explain everything to us.’
Then Jesus declared, ‘I, the one speaking to you—I am He.’”
It might sound almost illogical, Jesus talking to this woman about Himself. But He seized the opportunity to sit with someone who was not like Him.
He was a Jew; she was a Samaritan. Jews and Samaritans didn’t mix.
But because He was willing to go against the grain and ask a question, a whole town came to know Him.
“Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony.” (John 4:28–29)
Reflect:
Who might be waiting on me to ask a question that opens a door for Jesus?
Helping Others See Where They Are with the Lord
Romans 10:14–15
“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’”
Telling others about the Good News of Jesus sometimes requires us to first address the bad news. Just like with the woman at the well, Jesus revealed her truth, not to judge, but to heal.
Of course, we want to help people as much as possible, but sometimes it takes patience to help them see where they are in life right now. Some people have never even thought about their relationship with Jesus. Others have drifted far away.
Our goal is to be there for them, not to judge them.
Reflect:
Am I willing to walk patiently with others as they face their truth?
A Visual: The Line Between Flesh and Spirit
Acts of the Flesh: Galatians 5:19–21
“The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Fruit of the Spirit: Galatians 5:22–24
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
Matthew 7:17
“Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.”
We’ll know a person by their fruit, not their words.
So based on these two types of fruit, flesh and Spirit, where do you see yourself? If someone followed you quietly for a week, which fruit would they say your life produces?
Reflect:
What kind of fruit am I bearing daily, flesh or Spirit?
Crossing the Line
In order to cross the line from the world/flesh to the Spirit/God, it’s going to require one thing, Jesus. These three verses show us the way.
“Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.’” (John 14:6)
'If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ' (Romans 10:9)
“Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:1–4)
You don’t need a pulpit to preach.
You don’t need a platform to make an impact.
You just need a relationship with Jesus and the willingness to say yes. Someone is waiting for your story, your question, your testimony.
Don’t underestimate how God can use your ordinary to reveal His extraordinary.
Reflect:
What small act of obedience could God use today to change someone’s eternity?
Author: Mike Shoe