Most Christ followers are ordinary people. And ordinary people often think their own circle is too small to be of much use to the kingdom. Great preachers, celebrity Christians, mega-church pastors, trained missionaries … these are the people who achieve great things in the kingdom. But not me.
This is a misconception, of course. But it’s common. The Apostle Paul reminded the Corinthian believers,
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. (1Co 1:26-29 ESV)
This false sense of helplessness can be exacerbated if you find yourself in a difficult context. What can one ordinary person do of significance in the face of opposition, deception, evil?
Anyone wrestling with this question would do well to become familiar with the story of Ludmilla, an 82-year-old widow in the Czech Republic.
An ordinary believer surrounded by atheism
Ludmilla lives in the nation which has been called “the most atheist place in Europe.” She lost her husband in 2005. She’s a great-grandmother. She could content herself to love on her family and go to church. No doubt she does both.
But she is convinced that “All believers are called to be representatives of the kingdom of heaven.” In fact, she considers her home a kingdom outpost, an “embassy of the kingdom of heaven.”
“The Lord Jesus … wants me to be his representative, his ambassador. … My home is an extension of Christ’s kingdom.”
This five-minute video from Deidox Films will stir your heart. (Go here if the video does not appear.)
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (2Co 5:20 ESV)
- Gary Brumbelow
Print this page
