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Are You the Most Unlikely?

Image of Man Walking Down Lonely Path

Are you a head-turner, so stunningly attractive people take notice? When you speak, do people listen? Are you often publicly recognized for your achievements? Do people, whom you have never met, know your name? Are you so thin, beautiful, and wealthy people want to emulate you? Congratulations if you answered yes to any of these questions! You are the rare few defined as “the most likely”. May you use the gifts you have been given for the Lord’s glory.

Most of us in this world, however, fall into the “most unlikely ” category. The only way we turn-a-head is when we trip on the escalator. We are in the crowd cheering others on to victory, and often people in our office don’t know our name. We aren’t body beautiful, necessities rule our spending, and only our pets think we’re special. In this world we are considered the most unlikely to achieve anything of importance.

If you find yourself falling into the most unlikely category, it’s time to seek a second opinion…God’s. The Creator of heaven and earth says you are wonderfully made, knit together in your mother’s womb by His able hands (Psalm 139:13-14). He doesn’t look at your height, weight, IQ, 401K, or cholesterol level to define your value. He is not looking for perfection, for the One who made you
is completely aware of your weaknesses. He examines your heart for two things: faithfulness and humility.

God has a long track record of using the most unlikely for His good purpose. The underdogs, the out-layers of this world are far more common than godly kings and queens. That’s because God doesn’t need the wealth of this world to bankroll His kingdom. He doesn’t need political, military might or a powerful nation to establish His authority. Neither does He require articulate attorneys to defend His existence. He uses flawed people with faithful and humble hearts to reveal His love and goodness in a conflicted world.

If you are a believer in Jesus, the Messiah, it’s time to move from the world’s definition of “most unlikely” to God’s reality of “most likely”. You are a child of God, the Creator of heaven and earth. This world is not your permanent home, just a brief stop on the way to heaven. Your role in the world is to be His ambassador, the person who represents Him among your family, friends and neighbors. An ambassador negotiates peace, not war, on His behalf. An ambassador’s name is rarely well known, but the One they represent is never forgotten.

The truth is: if you have a faithful and humble heart towards God, you are the one most likely to impact your family, neighbors, and community with the love of Christ. There is no role more important, no need more critical. This world doesn’t need more entertainment, wealth, politicians, theologians, generals, doctors, or political leaders. The world needs God’s most likely abiding in His Spirit as they walk through chaos radiating His love, joy, and peace in a distracted world.

We can all find excuses for failing to faithfully and humbly follow God. Tough family environments, an angry culture, poverty, pestilence, bad governments, bad work environments, lack of education, discouragement, too short, too wide, too fat, too thin, too poor, too ugly. That’s just stinkin’ thinkin’! All excuses discount God’s power to move in your life. The One who created the world is perfectly capable of giving you the power to love the unlovable as He has loved you.

Circumstances don’t change God’s plan, they just reveal how He will accomplish His good purpose. For example, many years ago a baby was born into extreme poverty in a small town in an insignificant region of a country. His parents did the best they could to provide for his needs, but a traditional education for their beloved son would never be within their reach. They loved him deeply, but they had no means to lavish earthly goods upon him.

He was very bright and a hard worker who sought wisdom and knowledge at every opportunity. Unlike many other children from wealthier families who could participate in formal university studies, however, he was needed at home to help his family. He never complained as he worked hard helping his father, a blue collar tradesman, earn what was needed to provide for a growing family.

All the while, he grew in wisdom and in knowledge. He knew the work he was doing to assist his family was inconsistent with his calling, but family needs trumped his desire to follow his calling. He chose to honor his parents by patiently working in his dad’s trade while never losing sight of his true calling. Thus, unobserved by outsiders, he educated himself by constantly seeking the knowledge he would need to one day answer his call.

At the perfect time, when his family’s needs were met, he left his dad’s trade and began to pursue his passion. Immediately, people were amazed. Everywhere he went success followed. Soon, the experts of his field began to take notice as the results that followed this young man were undeniable. “Who is this man? Where did he come from? Where did he learn these things?” were their common questions. They didn’t remember him from their university classes. No one knew anything about his family. He had no recommendations from other experts and no degrees to validate his knowledge. Yet, if the skeptics were honest, the results that followed him could not be denied.

The more the young man followed his calling, the more successful he became, the more the experts in his field, many with degrees from the finest universities, from prestigious families and large organizations, began to resent and even deny the young man’s gifts and talents. While few denounced him publicly, behind closed doors they disqualified him. He did not fit their idea of what an expert in their field should be, since he lacked the “authenticity” of degrees, prestigious recommendations, and family heritage. Though his wisdom and knowledge were unquestionable, the experts were blinded by his lack of “proper training”.

What was the result of the experts’ rejection of this young man’s calling? He was never given the opportunity to serve them in his calling, thus they never shared in his success or achieved the heights of greatness truly possible. At the same time, they didn’t prevent the young man from achieving his calling. He achieved far more than anyone had envisioned, doing what the experts of his day had deemed impossible.

Today, the young man’s name and work are well documented while the experts that opposed him are mostly forgotten, or remembered only for their egregious oversight. How could they have been so blind? How did they miss him? Their error may have been unintentional. They had simply predetermined the parameters of what defined greatness, thus, they missed it when he stood in their presence.

Who was this young man? I’m proud to say I know him very well, as do many others around the world. I know Him as my Lord and Master, the Messiah, Jesus the Christ, the King of Kings and Lord over all creation.

Don’t miss the opportunity to be God’s most likely in the world of the un-like-thee.

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