Ordinary

We live in a world more connected than ever—and yet many of us feel more disconnected than ever before. Social media and smartphones promise constant connection, but often leave us scrolling through curated lives, comparing ourselves to filtered perfection, and wondering if we matter at all.

We just feel so ordinary.

In his book The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt writes, 

“Social media platforms have created a stage on which everyone performs, and where everyone watches everyone else perform. This relentless exposure breeds anxiety because it invites constant comparison—most often, comparison to curated versions of other people’s lives.” — Jonathan Haidt, The Anxious Generation

Social media turned daily living into a public performance, fueling anxiety, loneliness, and a craving for likes over real love. It’s easy to feel invisible in a world where worth is measured in followers and attention spans are shrinking.

But what if our value isn’t found in how others see us, but in how JESUS sees us? 

What if we don’t need to be impressive, influential, or even noticed by the world to be used by God in extraordinary ways? 

Acts 4:13 reminds us of something our smart phones can’t tell us: those who walk with JESUS make an eternal impact, not because they’re exceptional—but because He is.

“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and took note that these men had been with JESUS.” — Acts 4:13 

Peter and John weren’t polished theologians. They weren’t trained speakers or respected scholars. They weren’t highly intelligent, exceptionally brilliant, or personally extravagant in any way. They were fishermen—ordinary men by every measure, accustomed to the routines of daily life on the water. Yet, there was something undeniably remarkable about them. When they stood boldly before religious authorities, proclaiming the name of JESUS without fear, everyone noticed. Not because of their prestigious education. Not because of their family or religious background. Not because of their biblical knowledge or insight. But because they had been with JESUS.

That’s the difference.

God delights in using unlikely people—those the world might overlook or underestimate—to accomplish His eternal purposes.

Why?

Because when ordinary people do extraordinary things, no one can explain it except to say, God must be in this. It’s never about impressing people with ourselves. It’s about directing all attention to JESUS.

Peter and John’s boldness came not from self-confidence but from their Savior. Time spent with JESUS—listening to Him, walking with Him, being changed by Him—transformed into fearless witnesses. They didn’t need titles or degrees. They didn’t need a platform or a following. They simply needed faith and obedience.

And the same is true today.

Maybe, like me, you feel too plain, too inexperienced, too broken, too boring, or too ordinary to make a difference. Don’t believe that lie. God still uses ordinary people—teachers, parents, mechanics, students, retirees, engineers, baristas, nurses, neighbors, and pastors—to shine the light of JESUS in the dark corners of the world. He’s not looking for the most impressive subscriber list or influential number of followers. He’s looking for the most available heart.

When your life and mine reflects the courage, compassion, and character of Christ, people will take notice. And the best part? JESUS gets the credit. The glory doesn’t go to the messenger. It goes to the One who sent us.

In a world that measures worth in clicks, likes, and views, it’s easy to feel overlooked—like your life doesn’t count unless it’s trending. But JESUS doesn’t call influencers. He calls followers. He’s not looking for viral content—He’s looking for surrendered hearts. The courage of Peter and John in Acts 4:13 wasn’t born from self-confidence or popularity. It came from one thing: they had been with JESUS.

And that’s still the difference-maker today.

If you belong to JESUS, you are already chosen and called. In a world that leaves so many feeling anxious and unimportant, your quiet faithfulness, your unseen obedience, your love for Christ—it all matters more than you know.

So let’s put down the pressure to perform, walk with JESUS, and let Him shine through our ordinary lives for His extraordinary glory.

We may never go viral. But we will be used by God. And that’s what truly lasts.

Follow me… as I follow JESUS Christ.