My Two Friends

To many times we think that God only uses regular people. But what do we mean when we say "regular?" Oh, you say those like I me! I'm what you would call regular. Webster says that regular means
Conformed to a rule; agreeable to an established rule, law or principle, to a prescribed mode or to established customary forms; as a regular epic poem; a regular verse in poetry; a regular piece of music; regular practice of law or medicine; a regular plan; a regular building.
Regular people then would be those that conformed to a rule, law or principle. So in order to get a certain job I would have to meet their criteria. Let's say there was a job for an electrical engineer and their requirements were that I have a degree as an electrical engineer from a college. It matters not that you know the job and are able to do the work you are not able to conform to the rule. That may be alright for an electrical engineer, pilot and many other job fields but that is not the case with Jesus. I love to read Mark chapter 5 because it so encourages me. In this chapter we meet up with a man who appears to be living a life of horror. Here he is living in the cemetery and we read that he is abusing himself by cutting himself and everyone is kind of ignoring him. The reason is that they are afraid of him. Is that how we act? I mean when we see somebody that's not normal or a regular kind of person? As we read on further we find the reason for this man's actions is that there was some demonic activity going on in his life to cause him to act like that. As I work with people who, for whatever reason have given themselves over to drugs, alcohol many are afraid of them and have basically shut them out. So as we read about this man in Mark chapter 5 we see the same thing happening. That's what people do when they don't know what to do or how to handle the people or persons that have allowed these things to befall them. Jesus didn't see this man the way everyone else did. He saw far beyond his upfront problem to a man that would tell others about the Lord. When Jesus solved what was the main cause of this man's actions he put him to work.

Mark 5:19
Jesus saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.

Mark 5:20
And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.

I am friends with two such men who for many years gave themselves over to all kinds of drugs and alcohol and who knows what. They for the most part ruined their lives and destroyed their friendships and separated themselves from those who love them most. People didn't trust them and for the most part were afraid of them. Then one day Jesus found them, changed them and put them to work! There job requirements are "go tell what great things the Lord has done for you, how He had compassion on you." Do you know what they are doing today? They are doing just that. Their compassion for those who are on drugs and alcohol is real and they care for them because they know where they were and what great things the Lord has done for them. I am very thankful for our friendship and when we are together we enjoy each other's company and it's all because of what Christ has done and is doing in our lives. So it is not just regular or so called normal people God is interested in, it's those like myself and my two friends and oh yes; YOU!