FROM ORDINARY TO EXTRAORDINARY

Here’s my question.

How does an ordinary man become an extraordinary person?

ORINARY MEN BECOMES EXTRAORDINARY WHEN THEY UNDERSTAND THE RIGHT PRIORITIES, AND WORK ON THEM. [1]

There are extraordinarily good people and then again there are extraordinarily people who are evil too.

In a book entitled “Ordinary Men” authored by historian Christopher Browning touching on Holocaust, One critic said: “The most frightening aspect of Browning’s book is the knowledge it conveys to us that it was not a few brutes, but many good and ordinary men, who committed murder for Hitler.”

One might think that the men who engineered such atrocities were somehow of a different breed, perhaps genetically predisposed or psychologically imbalanced. I do not mean to mitigate the power of false beliefs or influence of a mob mentality, yet I cannot escape the fact that those capable of such ghastly acts against millions of people were, by all accounts, ordinary men.

Malcolm Muldgridge; perhaps considered as one of the most respected Christian with a brilliant mind of the 20th century tells us his own story.

It is a story of a time when he was a journalist in India, and left his residence one evening to go for a swim. As he entered the water, across the river he saw a woman bathing. Muldgridge impulsively felt the allure and temptation of the moment. He had often felt this kind of struggle but had resisted because he was a married man.

On this occasion, however, he wondered if he could cross the line of his conscience, and swam furiously toward the woman. His mind fed him the fantasy that stolen waters would be sweet.

Finally only a few feet away from her, he emerged from the water and looked at the woman. At once he realized that he was looking into the eyes of a leper – a toothless old woman was grinning at him. He was gripped with disgust and thought, “What a dirty lecherous woman!” when suddenly the rude shock of it dawned upon him. It was not the woman who was lecherous; it was his own heart.

Jeremiah says it correctly. In the Bible the prophet says the heart of man is deceitfully and hopelessly wicked.

This is why ordinary people become extraordinarily evil.

How then can an ordinary person turn out to be an extra-ordinary servant of God?

Let me tell you how. When that person understands priorities.

Let me give you a list of it. 

In our relationship with God

I.  It’s Worship before Work

2. Attitude before Activity

3. It’s being God’s Son before being God’s Servant

4. Enjoyment of God before Enduring for God

5. Being before Doing.

6. Obedience before Sacrifice

7. Fruit of the Spirit before Gifts of the Spirit

In our prayer life and bible study

I. Listening to God         before Asking from God

2. God’s Word               before Tradition of men

3. Spirit of the Word      before Letter of the Word

4.Facts                          before Feelings

5. Heart                         before Head

In our work for God

1.God’s will                    before our desires

2. Holiness                     before Evangelism

3. Making Disciples        before Getting members

4. Teaching                    before Socializing

5. Quality                        before Quantity

6. Motive                         comes before Methods

7. Faithfulness                comes before Success

8. Prayer                         comes before Planning

9. Faith                            comes before Logic

In Our Life With Others:

1. Forgiving                        comes  before Correcting.
2. Contributing to others     comes before Competing with Others.
3. Humility towards others  comes before Authority over Others.
4. Gentleness                     comes before Firmness with Others.
5. Relationship                   comes before Organization.
6. Appreciation                   comes before Judging Others.

Perhaps just like me, you need only to look as far as your own life to see that your heart is bent on following its own devices and falls short of what God intends.

But God stands ready to forgive sin and offer new life for those who honestly seek Him. He has the power to change ordinary men into becoming extraordinary beings provided we know the priorities.[2]

By the way, the difference between “ordinary” and “extraordinary” is that little “extra.”

[1]

[2] “Ordinary Men” By Ravi Zacharias Copyright (p)(c) 2000 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM)