He was given the title, “Mr. Irrelevant.” It was not a compliment, but it seemed to be an accurate description of the final pick in the 2022 NFL draft. Afterall, 261 football players had been drafted ahead of him. It was unlikely this man would even make the final roster cut, much less be a major contributor to his team. Yet, that is exactly what Brock Purdy did. The former Iowa State Cyclone quarterback ended up starting the last four games of the 2022 season for the San Francisco 49ers, and they won each of them. Purdy then led the 49ers to playoff victories over Seattle and Dallas. In the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Purdy was injured early in the contest and the Eagles ended up winning the game easily. With good reason, he was nicknamed, “Mr. Relevant” throughout the NFL. Purdy has continued to find success in his football career for the past two seasons as the starting quarterback for San Francisco.
This bit of football trivia contains an important lesson for us: God often uses unlikely heroes to accomplish what seem to be important tasks. One of the best Biblical examples of this is Moses. When he was 40 years old, Moses, a Hebrew, was “the Prince of Egypt.” If God was looking for someone to lead the people of Israel out of Egyptian slavery, Moses would have seemed to be an ideal candidate. He would be a consensus, first-round draft pick. Yet, that was not God’s plan. He had no use for the Prince of Egypt as a deliverer of His people. Instead, the Lord’s plan was for Moses to become a “Mr. Irrelevant,” spending the next forty years as a shepherd in the Midian desert.
That, however, was not the end of the story. When Moses was 80 years old (yes, 8-0!) God revealed to him that the most important chapter of his life was still ahead. Though Moses insisted he wasn’t qualified, the Lord insisted that he be the leader of Israel for the next forty years. God’s plan was not merely that Moses be relevant, but that he be the greatest prophet ever, except for the Messiah, Jesus.
Friend, it is likely the plan the Lord has for your life is very different than His plan for Moses, or even Brock Purdy. It probably does not include great wealth or fame. One thing of which you can be certain, however, is that God’s plan for your life always includes relevance. Your life matters. Your actions, words, and even attitudes are significant. From God’s perspective, there is no “Mr. or Mrs. Irrelevant.”
One way to recognize the relevance of your life is to ponder the “ripple effects” that you may have. A kind word you speak to a grocery store clerk may not seem all that significant, but it provides just the encouragement she needs to not quit her job. Keeping that job gives her enough extra money to help her son pay for his tuition and finish college. That college degree enables the young man to apply for medical school, where he becomes involved in medical research. In that field, he helps develop a cure for cancer. Yes, that sounds far-fetched. But, remember only God knows the “what ifs.” We do not know how the world will be different if you choose to speak kind words to someone, or how it will be different if you choose to speak harsh words. We only know that our words, as well as our actions and attitudes, are all very relevant.
This bit of football trivia contains an important lesson for us: God often uses unlikely heroes to accomplish what seem to be important tasks. One of the best Biblical examples of this is Moses. When he was 40 years old, Moses, a Hebrew, was “the Prince of Egypt.” If God was looking for someone to lead the people of Israel out of Egyptian slavery, Moses would have seemed to be an ideal candidate. He would be a consensus, first-round draft pick. Yet, that was not God’s plan. He had no use for the Prince of Egypt as a deliverer of His people. Instead, the Lord’s plan was for Moses to become a “Mr. Irrelevant,” spending the next forty years as a shepherd in the Midian desert.
That, however, was not the end of the story. When Moses was 80 years old (yes, 8-0!) God revealed to him that the most important chapter of his life was still ahead. Though Moses insisted he wasn’t qualified, the Lord insisted that he be the leader of Israel for the next forty years. God’s plan was not merely that Moses be relevant, but that he be the greatest prophet ever, except for the Messiah, Jesus.
Friend, it is likely the plan the Lord has for your life is very different than His plan for Moses, or even Brock Purdy. It probably does not include great wealth or fame. One thing of which you can be certain, however, is that God’s plan for your life always includes relevance. Your life matters. Your actions, words, and even attitudes are significant. From God’s perspective, there is no “Mr. or Mrs. Irrelevant.”
One way to recognize the relevance of your life is to ponder the “ripple effects” that you may have. A kind word you speak to a grocery store clerk may not seem all that significant, but it provides just the encouragement she needs to not quit her job. Keeping that job gives her enough extra money to help her son pay for his tuition and finish college. That college degree enables the young man to apply for medical school, where he becomes involved in medical research. In that field, he helps develop a cure for cancer. Yes, that sounds far-fetched. But, remember only God knows the “what ifs.” We do not know how the world will be different if you choose to speak kind words to someone, or how it will be different if you choose to speak harsh words. We only know that our words, as well as our actions and attitudes, are all very relevant.
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