The call to an extraordinary life.

With swipes, jabs, hooks and uppercuts, the hero killed a thousand men with the jawbone of an ass, however he nearly died of thirst shortly afterwards. This reminds us of the reality of human existence; ordinary people doing extraordinary things. The bible and secular world is rife with stories of people who did spectacular and extraordinary things in spite of their frailty and limitations. We see the life of Samson in the opening remarks; he did many exploits, his love for women notwithstanding. David was an ordinary shepherd boy, confined to the back part of the desert, often lonely and in harm’s way, he rose to become one of the greatest kings of Israel and in his solitude he developed an intimate relationship with God. The disciples of Jesus were fishermen but the moment they decided to forsake all and follow the Master, He transformed them in a space of three years and they in turn transformed the world forever. 1^st Corinthians 1:26 says that not many wise, mighty and noble people are called to accomplish God’s purposes, so that none will boast and all glory will be God’s. God sometimes is like a soccer coach that has a mix of super-talented players and average players in the same team. He decides to leave out the exceptional players therefore working extra hard; he grooms and holds more training sessions with the not-so-talented players. He goes ahead to win tournaments and gets football glory with the average players, leaving out the stars. God often works this way.

The turning point in a person’s life; the point when he being ordinary begins to do extra-ordinary things is the point where he is no more obsessed with what God and other people can do for him, but he becomes preoccupied with what he can do for God and fellow men. God does all things for the benefit and progress of His beloved creation; mankind. Solomon received an unprecedented degree of wisdom (with fame and fortune) when he asked God for the wisdom to lead His people. He asked nothing for himself and pleased God by this singular act. Esther asked that the lives of her people be preserved. Moses pleaded with God that Israel should not be destroyed even though he was insured against harm and received a promise that an alternative Nation will formed through him. Daniel appealed to the king for the promotion of his friends. 

Saul was the arch enemy of the body of Christ, he was responsible for the death and imprisonment of many Christians, yet God used him greatly for the advancement of the Kingdom. This tells us that God can decide to use not only normal people for His glory, but He can also make use His enemies; the so called ‘bad’ people if they yield their lives to Him. Saul’s turning point came when he asked God “what do you want me to do for you?” at the encounter he had on the way to Damascus (Acts 9:6). Elijah was an ordinary man like you and I, yet he controlled the rain at will. The secret of his power is found in 1^st Kings 17:1, where he said; “.......God before whom I stand......” That statement implies that he stood as a servant before God, subject to the Almighty’s beck and call, ready to do anything and everything God required of him. Recall that he also championed a revival and directed straying Israel back to God. Little wonder he got a steady supply of food and water during famine and drought. Those who do God’s bidding have their needs met while their peers run after material things; Matthew 6:33. Moses was translated into the supernatural at the burning bush as soon as he accepted God’s mandate to deliver the Israelites from Egyptian captivity. He didn’t fast for the anointing before his rod became a serpent, miraculous power and the required resources were made available to him once God saw a bit of willingness. These and much more can be yours too if you’re willing. That tells me that health, wealth, power, anointing and much more will be released by God to anyone who submits and is willing to pursue God’s mandate selflessly; Elisha, Gideon, the list goes on.

I believe that selfless service should extend beyond the confines of our places of worship, and be felt by society at large; the whole of mankind is the area of our calling. Mahatma Ghandi attained prominence because he fought without violence for the emancipation of his people. The same scenario is played out by Martin Luther King, Mother Theresa and everyone who attained worldwide prominence, they all lived selflessly. Even Hitler sought the progress and welfare of his people; it was on this basis that he attained prominence, though he went about it the wrong way. His aggressive internal and foreign policies are considered to be the primary cause of the outbreak of World War II in Europe. Have you observed that selfish people usually don’t amount to much in life, since they are not of much benefit to others? Our lives are not of much value if we do not live for God and others. Little wonder successful businesses are often the ones that deliver great service to the greatest number of people and the greatest politicians are those who do the greatest good to the greatest number of people. We will not all be clergymen, however you can do your own bit today. Practical things you can do to become extraordinary include, but are not limited to the following:

•           provide purposeful mentoring for teenagers in your city,
•           use your profession to reduce the suffering of others around you; e.g. occasional                 pro-bono medical services,
•           volunteer at a charity organisation; in old people’s homes, to take care of the sick,             e.t.c.·         
•          donate something you don’t use,
•          redirect your gifts to the less priviledged who need them far more than you do,
•          comfort the grieving,
•          teach skills, knowledge, morals and abilities you possess,
•          help others take action,
•          buy food for the homeless,
•          help the frustrated and share your success story,
•          appreciate others publicly,·         
•          serve in your place of worship,
•          exercise patience in human interaction,
•          defend the helpless,
•          connect others with God,
•          love others,
•          smile and be friendly,

What you see as a little effort can mean the entire world to others who are in need. One secret to accomplishing great things is for you to take the first step, heed the call, start! We may never be able to tell how far we will go at the beginning, but we need to begin. When Pastor Adeboye resigned as a lecturer in Nigeria to heed God’s call as a pastor and the General Overseer of the R.C.C.G., the Church was small and many people did not know he will go as far as he has; taking the Church to 180 countries of the world, with over 32,000 parishes as at year 2014. We must be reminded that God is most concerned about His glory than our desires and wants. So often He manifests Himself, releases blessings and works for His glory. Therefore the works of God and His blessings are about Him and His glory much more than they are about us and our many requests. Our requests are often misguided and selfish, some made just to satisfy our lusts; James 4:3. In fact God sometimes does us favours by not answering some of our prayers. Men often ask for what will destroy them, without realising so. When you want what God wants, anything that cannot stop will also be unable to stop you. In other words, nothing will be able to stop you. We must fit into God’s larger plan for humanity, else we short-change ourselves. You cannot go wrong when you align with God’s will.  Jesus rode in glory, on a colt into Jerusalem. People laid their clothes on the colt and on the floor for him to ride upon, they hailed him shouting hosanna. How hilarious it would have been for the colt to think he was the one for whom people did all of that. We are like that colt; priviledged to be used, we must remember that it’s all about God and His glory, not us.

Many times we approach God’s altar (the meeting place between God and man) with a barrage of requests asking him for things we want Him to do for us. It is high time we approached the altar with our petition being what God would have us do for Him, or what we want to do for Him; for the benefit of mankind and for grace/divine strength to get these things done. The world needs something you have. When you hear the voice of God and you respond by saying “here I am send me”, you have defined the turning point for you to be launched into extraordinary, supernatural and spectacular realms.

Take a stand today; live for God, live for mankind, serve selflessly! We only get to live life once, and if we live it well, once is enough. Even if you don’t live it well, you won’t get another chance. God did not direct His call to Isaiah; instead Isaiah overheard God saying, ". . . who will go for us?" The call of God is not just for a select few but for everyone, the call is for you, heed that call today.

“I believe there's a calling for all of us. I know that every human being has value and purpose. The real work of our lives is to become aware. And awakened. To answer the call.”
― Oprah Winfrey