Who were some ordinary people that God used for his glory?
- Moses encountered God while out tending sheep (so ordinary and lowly), and then specifically at the burning bush (Exodus 3:1–6).
- Ruth experienced God's provision while gleaning in the fields (so ordinary and lowly. Ruth 2:2–12).
- David spent significant portions of his early life also tending sheep (so ordinary and lowly), and the Psalms reflect his awareness of God in creation and solitude (1 Samuel 16:11; Psalm 23; Psalm 19:1).
- Jesus' years before His extraordinary public ministry were largely hidden from public view, and He has been known as a carpenter or, better yet -- a carpenter's son (Mark 6:3; Matthew 13:55). Scripture does not explicitly say that He spent any or all thirty years doing carpentry. I am pretty sure that he helped his sort of stepdad Joseph out. God alone was his real father. Luke 17:21 says, "The kingdom of God is among you" (NLT) is spoken by Jesus to the Pharisees. The point is not simply that our extraordinary God is present in every normal mundane activity of life, but that our King Himself was standing right there among them, and therefore God's kingdom had arrived in their midst. We can certainly apply the broader truth that Christ is with His people in ordinary life, but we will not make Luke 17:21 say more than it does.
You don't have to be extraordinary for God to use you, Sport. Like me, are you a regular Joe or perhaps..a reg Josephine type? You simply need to be faithful with Him and what the Lord has placed in your hands.
That gives you a wonderful biblical foundation perspective -- God loves regular people serving in ordinary situations -- this extraordinary God of the Universe.
Chin up Buckeroo, you can be an “ordinary person” today, but used by an extraordinary God where He directs you.
This biblical idea of being used is worth remembering for He alone is excellent and delights to bless you and bless through you.
So many in our broken world are broken. We've all sinned. There are consequences for that.. many experienced while here. God does not need extraordinary people today. He delights in using ordinary people who are fully surrendered and submitted to an extraordinary God and His authoritative word.
- 1 Corinthians 1:26–29 — God chose what the world considers weak and insignificant so that no one could boast before Him.
- Acts 4:13 — Peter and John were perceived as “ordinary men” (ESV), yet people easily recognized that they had been with Jesus. Have you been spending times with, following close with Jesus?
- 2 Corinthians 4:7 — Paul describes believers as “jars of clay” carrying the treasure of the gospel. The power belongs to God, not to the vessel.
- John 15:5 — Jesus says, “apart from me you can do nothing.”
- 2 Corinthians 12:9 — “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
- Colossians 3:17, 23 — ordinary deeds and things can become acts of devotion when they are done in the name of the Lord and wholeheartedly for His glory.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 — “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances.”
My point is biblical here. Ordinary people following Jesus closely are secretly extraordinary cuz He is Lord inside of them. My point is that an extraordinary God is thrilled to work through saved ordinary people who trust in Him. Who obey, thank, pray to, praise, witness, clean, encourage with the Word, and remain faithful to the Word.
That distinction matters.
Peter wasn't powerful in and of himself because Peter was born the first time extraordinary. Peter had been reborn and spent time with Jesus. (See Acts 4:13)
Live like he did all-in for Christ and simply abide. What do these believers do?
They thank and praise God when nobody is watching.
They pray when they don't feel like it and nobody applauds cuz they aren't in it for that.
They encourage and edify somebody who is discouraged.
They witness -- they clearly tell someone about Jesus, his cross and resserection.
They show kindness in an ordinary conversation.
They faithfully do the job God has put in front of them, and...
They leave the results in God's hands.
"My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise." Psalm 57:7
What's a wonderful foundation for “Ordinary or Extraordinary?” Praying and serving to meet a need.
*Ordinary people opt to stay tight with the Extraordinary God.
*Ordinary faithfulness leads to Extraordinary purposes and fruitfulness.
*Ordinary days often turn into ordinary years and decades with Extraordinary opportunities.
*Ordinary vessels remain yielded to the Extraordinary Lord that we treasure above all else.
And perhaps the most beautiful biblical picture of all is 2 Corinthians 4:7: “We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.”
An Extraordinary God, Ordinary People, and What We Do When Leaders Near Us Go Wrong
David came from humble beginnings.
David did not begin life in an upscale, fancy, posh palace. He began in Bethlehem, the youngest son in a family where his older brothers stood before Samuel while David was still out tending the sheep. He was a shepherd before he was a soldier, a worshiper before he was a warrior, and a servant before he was a king.
Yet God saw something others did not see.
When Samuel was ready to anoint one of Jesse's older sons, the Lord reminded him that His way of seeing is different from ours:
“The LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7
That is David's story in a sentence. God saw his heart.
David would become Israel's king, a fearless warrior, a gifted musician, a poet whose worship would become part of Scripture, and a man whom God Himself described as “a man after my heart” (Acts 13:22; cf. 1 Samuel 13:14).
David was far from perfect. His life included serious failures and painful consequences. But beneath the victories, failures, worship, repentance, courage, and struggles was a man who repeatedly turned his heart toward God.
And that is where David's story becomes personal.
God's choice of David reminds us of several enduring truths about the kinds of people He delights to use.
God Uses Ordinary People
God has never needed impressive human credentials in order to accomplish His purposes.
He was introduced to us as a shepherd. That's lowly.
David would eventually become king of Israel. He would become a courageous warrior, a gifted musician, a worshiper, a psalmist, and one of the most significant kings in Israel's history.
Most importantly, Scripture gives us this remarkable description:
“He raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do my will.’”
Acts 13:22
That does not mean David was sinless. He wasn't.
David committed grievous sins, including adultery and arranging for Uriah to die in battle. His sins brought painful consequences into his own life and family. Scripture does not airbrush David's failures. The Bible tells the truth about its heroes, because ultimately the Bible is not a book about how wonderful human beings are. It is a book about how holy, merciful, faithful, and sovereign God is.
David's life therefore teaches us something larger than how to become successful.
It teaches us about the kind of heart God can use, the kind of faithfulness God values, and what ordinary believers can do when people in spiritual authority become unfaithful.
God Uses Ordinary People
David was an ordinary shepherd before he became a king.
That is one of the beautiful patterns throughout Scripture. God repeatedly works through people who, by the world's standards, do not appear particularly impressive.
Moses was a shepherd.
Gideon was hiding while threshing wheat.
Amos was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamore figs.
The first disciples included fishermen.
And David was tending sheep.
The lesson is not that ordinary people are secretly extraordinary.
The deeper truth is that God is extraordinary.
Paul wrote:
“God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.”
1 Corinthians 1:27
And the Lord told Paul:
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
2 Corinthians 12:9
God does not need us to become impressive before He can use us.
He asks us to be faithful.
David was faithful with sheep before he was entrusted with a kingdom.
That ought to encourage the person who feels unnoticed.
Perhaps you are not standing before crowds. Perhaps no one knows your name outside your family, workplace, church, or neighborhood. Perhaps you spend much of your life doing ordinary things that seem almost invisible.
Do not despise that.
The shepherd's field was not wasted time for David.
God saw him there.
And God sees you where you are.
Jesus said:
“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much.”
Luke 16:10
The ordinary place where you faithfully serve God today may be part of something you cannot yet see.
But there is another truth we must hold alongside it.
Being used by God does not necessarily mean becoming prominent.
Faithfulness is not measured by how many people know your name.
It is measured by whether you are faithful to the One who does.
God Uses People Whose Hearts Are Focused on Him
David's courage was rooted in his view of God.
When David confronted Goliath, he did not think the battle depended upon his own strength.
He declared:
“The battle is the LORD's.”
1 Samuel 17:47
David saw the giant.
But David also saw God.
That is the difference between biblical courage and human bravado.
Biblical courage does not deny the size of the problem. It remembers the greatness of God.
David expressed this God-centered confidence in Psalm 57:
“My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast!”
Psalm 57:7
A heart fixed on God does not mean life will always go according to our plans.
David knew that personally.
He experienced rejection.
He experienced betrayal.
He lived through danger.
He spent seasons running for his life.
He experienced family tragedy.
He knew what it was like to wonder what God was doing.
Yet again and again, David returned to God.
That is where contentment begins.
We cannot always control our circumstances, other people's behavior, church leadership, opportunities, recognition, or the way others treat us.
But by God's grace, we can determine where we will anchor our hearts.
Jesus said:
“Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.”
Matthew 6:33
God may give you what you hoped for.
He may give you something entirely different.
He may close one door and open another.
He may ask you to remain faithful in a place you would rather leave.
But whatever happens, Christ remains worthy of being first.
God Uses People Who Are Faithful With What Is in Their Hands
David's first responsibility was not ruling Israel.
It was caring for sheep.
And he took that responsibility seriously.
When Saul questioned David's ability to face Goliath, David explained that he had protected his father's sheep from both a lion and a bear:
“Your servant used to keep sheep for his father.”
1 Samuel 17:34
Nobody needed to give David a microphone for his faithfulness to matter.
He was simply doing what had been placed before him.
That is a lesson worth recovering in a culture that can make significance look synonymous with visibility.
Colossians 3:23 says:
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”
Whatever you do.
Not merely what receives applause.
Not merely what gets noticed.
Not merely what appears important.
Whatever you do.
Serve Christ where you are.
Work honestly.
Love people.
Tell the truth.
Keep your word.
Encourage the discouraged.
Care for the hurting.
Pray.
Open God's Word.
Forgive.
Repent when you sin.
Stand for what is right.
And when God gives you responsibility, handle it faithfully.
The Christian life is not primarily about building a reputation.
It is about being faithful to Jesus.
But What Happens When the People Who Are Supposed to Lead Are Sinful?
Scripture never pretends that religious leaders are automatically righteous before God.
The Bible gives us some extraordinarily sobering examples.
Zephaniah spoke against corrupt spiritual leaders in Judah:
“Her prophets are fickle, treacherous men; her priests profane what is holy; they do violence to the law.”
Zephaniah 3:4
That is a devastating description.
The very people who were supposed to represent God's truth were acting treacherously and violating God's law.
The Bible does not excuse spiritual leaders simply because they occupy positions of spiritual authority.
Quite the opposite.
Greater responsibility brings greater accountability.
Jesus Himself warned against religious hypocrisy. He confronted the scribes and Pharisees publicly when they misrepresented God and burdened others while failing to live rightly themselves (Matthew 23:1-36).
And the New Testament does not place church leaders beyond accountability.
Paul instructed Timothy:
“Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses.”
1 Timothy 5:19
Then he continued:
“As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.”
1 Timothy 5:20
Notice the biblical balance.
There is not permission for careless accusations.
There is not permission for gossip.
There is not permission to destroy someone's reputation because of personal hurt or disagreement.
But neither is there permission to hide persistent, established sin merely because the person is a leader.
God's people are called to truth.
Leaders are not above Scripture.
Pastors are not above Scripture.
Elders are not above Scripture.
Teachers are not above Scripture.
And neither are ordinary Christians.
The authority belongs to God's Word, not to the personality holding the microphone.
Ordinary People Must Refuse Both Bitterness and Blind Loyalty
This is where things become deeply personal.
What should an ordinary Christian do when a spiritual leader sins against him?
First, do not become bitter.
Jesus taught us to pray:
“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
Matthew 6:12
And when Peter asked how often he should forgive, Jesus answered:
“Seventy-seven times.”
Matthew 18:22
Forgiveness is not pretending that sin was acceptable.
Forgiveness is not declaring that consequences do not matter.
Forgiveness is not automatically restoring someone to a position of trust.
Forgiveness is surrendering personal vengeance to God and refusing to cultivate hatred in your heart.
Romans 12:19 says:
“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God.”
You can forgive someone and still establish boundaries.
You can forgive someone and still tell the truth.
You can forgive someone and still require accountability.
You can forgive someone and still recognize that trust may need to be rebuilt over time, and sometimes...
You may need to leave an unhealthy situation without hatred in your heart.
Forgiveness keeps the wound from becoming your master.
Second, Do Not Confuse Respect for Authority With Blind Submission to Sin
Scripture teaches Christians to respect legitimate spiritual authority.
But biblical submission never means calling evil good.
Peter and John were ordered not to speak in the name of Jesus. Their answer was:
“We must obey God rather than men.”
Acts 5:29
That principle matters.
Human authority is real.
But human authority is never ultimate.
God's Word is ultimate.
A pastor cannot make sin righteous by calling it ministry.
An elder cannot make deception truthful by putting it in religious language.
A Christian leader cannot make abuse holy by attaching Jesus' name to it.
We honor rightful authority while remembering that every human authority remains accountable to God.
Third, When Necessary, Confront Sin Biblically
Sometimes love requires a difficult conversation.
Paul had to confront Peter because Peter's conduct was inconsistent with the truth of the gospel.
Paul wrote:
“I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all...”
Galatians 2:14
That is remarkable.
Peter was an apostle.
Paul still confronted him.
Why?
Not because Paul wanted to humiliate Peter.
Because the truth of the gospel was at stake.
That gives us an important principle: biblical confrontation is not supposed to be revenge. It is supposed to pursue truth, repentance, restoration, and the protection of others.
Jesus also gave His followers a process for dealing with personal sin:
“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.”
Matthew 18:15
Jesus then described further steps when the matter remained unresolved (Matthew 18:15-17).
There is wisdom here.
Go directly when appropriate.
Do not begin by broadcasting the accusation.
Do not build a social-media courtroom.
Do not recruit a crowd to hate someone.
Seek truth.
Seek witnesses when required.
Seek repentance.
Seek restoration.
And when persistent, serious sin is established, follow the biblical process of accountability.
Fourth, Do Not Protect Sinful Leaders From Biblical Accountability
Sometimes Christians become so concerned about “touching God's anointed” that they forget that the Bible itself holds leaders accountable.
The Old Testament prophets repeatedly confronted kings, priests, and false prophets.
Nathan confronted David.
Elijah confronted Ahab.
John the Baptist confronted Herod.
Jesus confronted religious leaders.
Paul confronted Peter.
The issue is not whether leaders can be confronted.
The issue is how, why, and according to what standard they are confronted.
The standard is God's truth, not personal revenge.
Paul specifically warned Timothy against partiality:
“I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality.”
1 Timothy 5:21
That protects everyone.
The innocent should not be condemned by careless accusations.
The guilty should not be protected by favoritism.
Truth should not bend for either side.
Fifth, Serious Criminal Conduct Must Not Be Hidden Under a Religious Cover
There is an important distinction between sin that requires church discipline and conduct that may also constitute a crime.
The church has biblical responsibilities concerning sin and discipline.
Civil authorities have responsibilities concerning criminal conduct.
Romans 13 teaches that governing authorities are established by God and that the civil authority has a legitimate role in restraining wrongdoing and administering justice (Romans 13:1-4 esv).
Therefore, Christianity does not provide a religious excuse for concealing criminal behavior.
If someone commits a crime, particularly conduct that threatens or harms other people, the proper response is not to bury it beneath the reputation of a church, pastor, ministry, or institution.
Truth matters.
Justice matters.
The protection of the vulnerable matters.
And the church should never confuse forgiveness with concealment.
A Christian can forgive an offender while still telling the truth about what happened.
A Christian can pray for repentance while cooperating with legitimate authorities.
A Christian can love a sinner without helping that sinner continue in sin.
That is not hatred.
That is love governed by truth.
And What About David?
This brings us back to David.
David was a man after God's own heart.
But David was also a sinner who needed correction.
Nathan confronted him.
David eventually confessed:
“I have sinned against the LORD.”
2 Samuel 12:13
That sentence is one of the reasons David's story is so powerful.
He was not a man after God's heart because he never sinned.
He was a man who, when confronted with his sin, ultimately acknowledged it before God.
Psalm 51 gives us the sound of a repentant heart:
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”
Psalm 51:10
There is a lesson here for every Christian leader and every Christian.
God does not require us to pretend we are without sin. He requires us to walk in truth and repentance.
The danger is not merely that leaders might fail.
The greater danger is when leaders refuse correction, manipulate people, hide wrongdoing, twist Scripture, or demand loyalty to themselves rather than faithfulness to Christ.
And ordinary Christians must not become so disillusioned by bad leadership that they abandon Christ Himself.
Jesus is not the problem.
Christ remains faithful when His servants are not.
Do Not Let Someone Else's Sin Become Your Sin
This may be one of the most important lessons of all.
Someone else's hypocrisy does not give me permission to become hypocritical.
Someone else's bitterness does not give me permission to become bitter.
Someone else's dishonesty does not permit me to lie.
Someone else's abuse of authority does not permit me to abuse people.
Someone else's failure does not release me from following Jesus.
Paul's words are still true:
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Romans 12:21
That is Christian strength.
Not pretending evil is good.
Not becoming consumed with the person who hurt you.
Not allowing another person's failure to pull you away from Christ.
Instead, keep your eyes on Jesus.
Tell the truth.
Forgive.
Set appropriate boundaries.
Seek justice where justice is required.
Follow biblical processes of accountability.
Protect those who are vulnerable.
Refuse gossip and false accusation.
And keep your own heart clean before God.
Ordinary People Still Matter
Perhaps you feel ordinary.
Perhaps you have been overlooked.
Perhaps you have served faithfully without recognition.
Perhaps you have been wounded by someone who should have treated you better.
Perhaps you have watched a spiritual leader behave in a way that broke your heart.
If so, remember this:
God has not lost sight of you.
David was in a field when God saw him.
Joseph was in prison when God was with him.
Daniel was in exile when God remained faithful.
Elijah stood largely alone when God still had His purposes.
The disciples were ordinary men before Jesus called them.
And the Lord still delights to work through people who belong completely to Him.
Your calling is not to become impressive.
Your calling is to be faithful.
Faithful to Christ.
Faithful to His Word.
Faithful in your relationships.
Faithful in your work.
Faithful when nobody applauds.
Faithful when somebody disappoints you.
Faithful when leadership is good.
Faithful when leadership fails.
Faithful enough to forgive.
Faithful enough to confront when confrontation is biblically necessary.
Faithful enough to speak truth without hatred.
Faithful enough to refuse both vengeance and cowardice.
Faithful enough to leave ultimate judgment in God's hands, and..
Faithful enough to keep loving people.
Because people matter to God.
That is why truth matters.
That is why correction matters.
That is why justice matters.
That is why forgiveness matters.
And that is why how we treat people while standing for truth matters.
The Extraordinary God Still Uses Ordinary People
David's story ultimately isn't about how extraordinary David was.
It is about how extraordinary God is.
David was a shepherd before he was a king.
He was a worshiper before he was a warrior.
He was a sinner who needed mercy.
He was a leader who needed correction.
And he was a man whose life reminds us that God can accomplish His purposes through people who simply place themselves in His hands.
So perhaps the prayer is not:
“Lord, make me important.”
Perhaps it is:
“Lord, make me faithful.”
Give me a heart that seeks You.
Give me courage to stand for truth.
Give me humility to receive correction.
Give me wisdom to confront sin rightly.
Give me grace to forgive.
Give me discernment when people in authority fail.
Give me courage never to protect evil merely because it wears religious clothing.
Give me compassion for wounded people.
And above everything else, keep my eyes on Jesus.
Because the goal is not for ordinary people to become famous.
The goal is for an extraordinary God to be seen clearly through ordinary people.
Paul said it this way:
“Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
1 Corinthians 10:31
And John the Baptist gave us the right direction for the whole Christian life:
“He must increase, but I must decrease.”
John 3:30
That is where everything comes together.
We are ordinary.
God is extraordinary.
We are imperfect.
Christ is perfect.
We sometimes fail.
He remains faithful.
We may be overlooked by people.
We are never overlooked by God.
And when leaders fail, we do not have to choose between bitterness and blindness. We can choose the harder, better biblical path: truth without hatred, forgiveness without pretending, accountability without revenge, courage without arrogance, and love without compromising God's Word.
The field may seem ordinary.
The task may seem small.
The person in front of you may seem insignificant.
But if God has placed it in your hands, serve Him there.
Love that person there.
Tell the truth there.
Pray there.
Be faithful there.
And trust the extraordinary God who sees what others do not see.
Because sometimes the place that looks least important to us is precisely where God is doing some of His most important work.
I think that “the greatest king in the history of Israel” is Jesus. Did they think of Him from the Scriptures? Of mere men as their king, I would say it was David. KnowGod.org
