“Elijah was as human as we are…”

If we’re honest with ourselves, most of us feel more like Peter before Pentecost than Paul after Damascus. We relate easily to Bible characters like Samson, David, Gideon, Saul, or Peter. They messed up, doubted, acted impulsively, and sometimes completely missed the point. Just like us.

We connect with their failures—and if we’re not careful, we can find comfort in them. We stay content in our own struggles, convincing ourselves that it’s okay to fall, because they did too.

But God never intended us to stay ordinary.

Yes, Elijah was a man just like us—but he called down fire from heaven! Yes, Peter denied Jesus three times—but after the Holy Spirit filled him, he boldly preached and 3,000 were saved in a single day! Joseph was just a dreamer teenager—but he became Egypt’s prime minister. Paul was a persecutor—an accomplice to Stephen’s stoning—but he became the greatest missionary.

What made the difference? Total surrender.

Paul said, “I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others, I myself might be disqualified,” (1 Corinthians 9:27). And so did all the great men and women of God who have significantly impacted His Kingdom. The truth is, every “extraordinary” person in the Bible started off as ordinary. What set them apart wasn’t background, education, talent, or even a special blessing — it was their full surrender to God’s purpose. They weren’t perfect, but they were all-in. No halfway. No safety nets. No side gigs in sin. They lived and breathed the mission of God.

We often say we want to do what Paul did, but are we willing to give up what Paul gave up? We admire David’s heart, but are we willing to train like he did, worship like he did, repent like he did? We dream of being used like Elijah, but can we unplug from the noise of the world like he did?

It’s easier to relate to the ordinary characters in God’s Word because it comforts us. “Well, Peter failed too. David failed too,” we say. But neither of them stayed there. After Pentecost, Peter was never the same. He preached with power, and he no longer feared death.

Are you content being an ordinary believer who simply “gets by” in the faith; or do you want to become someone extraordinary — someone through whom God can shake nations, heal hearts, and change eternal destinies? It’s not about trying harder. It’s about surrendering deeper. It’s saying, “God, you can have all of me.” My time. My talent. My phone. My food. My entertainment. Even my dreams and ambitions. “Whether you eat or drink, do it all for the glory of God,” (1 Corinthians 10:31). Extraordinary people don’t just quote this — they live it.

Today take a moment and ask: What’s holding me back from being fully used by God? Is it distractions? Compromise? Comfort? Pride? Whatever it is — surrender it. Give yourself 100% to His service. Turn your back on the fleeting pleasures of this world and run after the purpose of God with all your heart.

It’s easy to reject evil. But it’s harder to walk away from the “good things” this world offers. Extraordinary people do just that. They turn from the entire tree of knowledge — both good and evil — and chase after the Tree of Life.

God isn’t looking for perfect people. He’s looking for hearts fully surrendered — fully devoted — fully His.

By Santosh Chandran, Bible League International staff, New Zealand