For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. – Isaiah 53:2.

And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. – Acts 6:8.

Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Christ to them. – Acts 8:5.

An Odd Choice

Leo Tolstoy’s beauty resided in his brain, not in his face. Looking every inch the peasant instead of the patrician he actually was, he invariably disappointed those who saw him. His broad nose and thick lips offended many who had developed an idealized profile from his novels. Visitors would wait for hours to see him, only to wish they hadn’t. Socrates was said to be the homeliest of Greeks, yet was perhaps the wisest of his nation. Ulysses S. Grant was a markedly unmilitary-looking general; he was very ordinary-looking, in fact. Yet he fought like a Bengal tiger.

God considers two factors in recruiting servants: (1) the particular ministry needs; and (2) the person who perfectly fits the servant profile. God chose Abraham because he was the only man alive who would outwait unbelief to gain his patrimony. He chose Noah because only he could see thunderstorms in skies that had never floated a cloud. He chose David because although king-designate, he was willing to serve as public enemy number one. He chose Hannah because she freely surrendered her only hope of happiness just as she had promised she would. He chose Ezekiel because no one else would act like a lunatic in order to bring Israel to her senses. He chose Mary because she alone believed that God could outwit the law of human regeneration.

God has numerous ministries that need to be serviced. Which one of us would be willing to offer our résumé to check against the servant-profile?

Applicable Quotations

When a man turns to God desiring to serve Him, God directs his attention to the world and its need. – Brunner

It is high time that the ideal of success should be replaced by the ideal of service. – Einstein

The world cannot always understand one’s profession of faith, but it can understand service. – Maclaren

There are many of us that are willing to do great things for the Lord, but few of us are willing to do little things. – Moody

Courtesy of Speaker’s Sourcebook of New Illustrations by Virgil Hurley copyright © 1995 by Word, Incorporated. Used by permission.
*Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
**Quotations are Public Domain.