Jesus is Calling: He Wants to Work Through Us

When God Chooses to Work Through Ordinary You

Four friends tore apart a roof because they believed. What might happen if you truly believed God wants to work through you today?

You know that feeling when you read about miracles in the Bible and think, "That's amazing, but what does it have to do with my regular Tuesday afternoon?" I get it. Most of us don't feel particularly miraculous as we're sitting in traffic or responding to emails.

But here's what the story in Mark 2 reveals: God didn't perform the miracle alone. He chose to work through four ordinary friends who had enough faith to dig through someone's roof.

Think about that. The healing of the paralyzed man—one of Jesus's most famous miracles—happened because some regular people showed up, believed, and acted.

God wants to work through you in the same way. Not someday when you're more qualified or less busy or more spiritual. Right now. With your current limitations, your ordinary Tuesday, your imperfect faith.

The question isn't whether you're ready. It's whether you're willing.

The Power of Showing Up

When the four friends heard Jesus was in town, they didn't wait for a formal invitation. They didn't wonder if they were spiritual enough to approach Him. They simply showed up with their paralyzed friend, determined to get him to Jesus.

Here's what strikes me: the house was packed. The door was blocked. Every logical option was exhausted. And that's when their faith got creative.

You might feel like the door is blocked in your life right now. Maybe you've been praying for someone who seems unreachable. Maybe you're facing a situation that looks impossible. Maybe you've tried the conventional approaches and they've all failed.

But God doesn't just want you to show up when the path is clear. He wants to work through you especially when you have to dig through the roof.

As Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, "God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong." God deliberately chooses to work through unlikely people doing unlikely things. That's you.

That's your story waiting to be written.

Your Faith Doesn't Have to Be Perfect

Let's be honest about something: those four friends probably had doubts. I imagine they looked at that roof and someone said, "Are we really doing this?" Someone else probably worried about the homeowner's reaction. At least one of them must have wondered if they'd look ridiculous.

They brought their friend to Jesus anyway.

In Mark 9:24, a desperate father cries out to Jesus, "I do believe; help my unbelief!" That's the kind of faith God honors—honest faith that shows up even while wrestling with doubt.

You don't need perfect faith. You need willing faith. The kind that says, "I'm not sure how this is going to work, but I'm showing up anyway." The kind that loves people enough to look foolish for them. The kind that believes God can use your imperfect efforts for His perfect purposes.

God Works Through Relationships

Notice that the paralyzed man didn't get himself to Jesus. He needed his friends. And those friends needed each other to carry him and lower him through the roof.

This is how God often chooses to work—through us, together. Galatians 5:13-14 says, "Serve one another through love. For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself."

Who in your life needs to be carried right now? Who needs someone to believe for them when their own faith is paralyzed? And just as importantly—who are your roof-digging friends? Who will show up with you when the task seems impossible?

God wants to work through your relationships. Through your willingness to carry others. Through your humble willingness to be carried. Through the faith community that bears one another's burdens.

You're not meant to do this alone.

He Sees Beyond What We See

When Jesus saw the paralyzed man, He first said, "Son, your sins are forgiven" (Mark 2:5). Everyone expected healing. Jesus offered forgiveness.

He saw beyond the obvious need to the deeper need. And He still does.

When you step out in faith to serve, to love, to act, God sees beyond your actions to your heart. When you pray for someone, He sees beyond the immediate request to what they truly need. When you feel inadequate, He sees beyond your limitations to His unlimited power working through you.

Ephesians 3:20-21 promises that God "is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us." Did you catch that? The power works in us. God chooses to channel His infinite power through finite you.

That's not a burden. That's an invitation to partner with the Creator of the universe in bringing healing to a broken world.

The paralyzed man went home carrying his mat that day. But the real miracle? It started with four friends who refused to accept "the door is blocked" as the final answer. It started with ordinary people who believed God could do something extraordinary through their willing hands.

You have a choice today. You can wait until you feel more qualified, more spiritual, more ready. Or you can show up with your honest faith, your willing hands, and your loving heart, and watch what God does through you.

The world is full of people who need to be carried to Jesus. And God is looking for ordinary people willing to dig through a few roofs.

What if that person is you?

Your Plan of Action This Week:

1. Identify Your Paralytic - Who in your life needs to be carried to Jesus right now? It might be someone facing a physical struggle, an emotional crisis, a spiritual drought, or a practical need. Write their name down. Commit to praying for them daily.

   
   

2. Find Your Crew - You can't dig through a roof alone. Who are 1-3 people you can invite to pray with you or take practical action with you? Send them a message this week.

   
   

3. Dig Your Roof - What's one specific, practical action you can take this week to bring your person closer to Jesus? It might be:

   • Inviting them to coffee to listen to their story

   • Offering practical help with a need

   • Sharing your own story of faith

   • Inviting them to church or a small group

   • Simply showing up consistently in their life

     
     

4. Pray the Honest Prayer - Each morning this week, pray: "Lord, I believe You want to work through me. Help my unbelief. Show me where You want me to dig today. Use my ordinary life for Your extraordinary purposes."

   
   

5. Expect Obstacles and Dig Anyway - When you encounter resistance or doubt (and you will), remember: the door was blocked for those four friends too. That's when faith gets creative. Don't let blocked doors be your final answer.

   
   

Remember: God doesn't need your perfection. He wants your willingness. He wants to work through you—right now, right where you are, with exactly what you have.

So, grab your shovel. Find your friends. And start digging.

Blessings,

Donna