At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. Matthew 11:25-26
“Oddly, as I look back on Jesus’ time from the present perspective, it is the very ordinariness of the disciples that gives me hope. Jesus does not seem to choose His followers on the basis of native talent or perfectibility or potential for greatness. When He lived on earth he surrounded Himself with ordinary people who misunderstood Him, failed to exercise much spiritual power, and sometimes behaved like churlish schoolchildren. Three followers in particular (the brothers James and John, and Peter) Jesus singled out for his strongest reprimands — yet two of these would become the most prominent leaders of the early Christians.
I cannot avoid the impression that Jesus prefers working with unpromising recruits. Once, after He had sent out seventy disciples on a training mission, Jesus rejoiced at the successes they reported back. No passage in the Gospels shows Him more exuberant. “At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, ‘I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes,Father, for this was your good pleasure.’” From such a ragtag band Jesus founded a church that has not stopped growing in nineteen centuries.”
Philip Yancey (b. 1949) in The Jesus I Never Knew: Revealing What 2,000 Years of History Have Covered Up (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996) 99-100.
At GTP we say we look for FAT people to serve with us: faithful, available, and teachable. Often these people appear as ordinary people – young, inexperienced, yet committed – and yet we find that God does extraordinary things through them.
Many are unpromising and maybe the last people you might expect to serve in world-changing roles. They have limited education. Like the companions of Paul, not many come from noble birth. And we don’t find them through search organizations.
We find them along the way as we serve like Paul and Silas found Timothy. Jesus met the 12 along the way. He prayed and God confirmed their choosing. One did not work out, of course. We find similiar percentages hold true.
This relates to generosity, because, in the words of Yancey, it gives us all hope that God can use us if he can use a ragtag group of ordinary and unpromising people. Know any such people you can encourage today? Do it (only after looking in the mirror).