by TA York
The Mental Filter of the World
Let’s start with a quick experiment. Close your eyes for a moment. I want you to picture a “winner” in your mind.
Now, get specific. Picture a professional football player. What does he look like? Most likely, you see a wide, muscular man with a jawline like granite—someone who looks like he could walk through a brick wall. Now, imagine a scientist. Do you see a man with messy hair and thick glasses, using words that sound like a foreign language? Finally, imagine a fashion model. You likely see a tall, slender, “perfect” figure.
What you just saw wasn’t necessarily reality; it was an image profile implanted into your brain by the world. From the time we are children, we are taught to “judge the book by its cover.” We are trained to believe that the most valuable people are the ones who look the strongest, the smartest, or the most beautiful.
I know this filter well because I lived it. When I was younger, I played baseball. I was six feet tall but very thin—I looked like a stiff breeze could knock me over. In every visual account, I looked weak. When I stepped up to the plate, the opposing team’s infielders would actually move closer. They didn’t see me as a threat. They thought, “This skinny kid can’t hit.”
I loved that moment. I loved it because they had already written me off as the “worst” player. Then, the pitch would come, and I would knock the “skin off the ball.” I’ll never forget the sight of those outfielders scrambling, chasing the ball as it sailed over their heads.
The world looked at my frame and saw a “last-place” athlete. But the scoreboard saw a “first-place” hitter.
The Theology of the Underdog
In Matthew 19:28-30, Jesus turns the world’s social ladder upside down. He tells His disciples:
“Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones… And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters… for my sake will receive a hundred times as much… But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.”
This is the “Great Reversal.” In the Roman world, the “first” were the emperors, the generals, and the wealthy. The “last” were the fishermen, the tax collectors, and the poor. Jesus told the world that in His Kingdom, the seating chart is flipped.
Have you ever been the last one picked for a team? Maybe you were the last one hired, or the first one forgotten. It’s okay. In fact, it’s better than okay. Today, you are the first one picked for God’s team.
God has a peculiar “hiring” strategy. He doesn’t look for the most polished resume; He looks for the most willing heart. He loves to pick the rejects, the “least,” the ones who seem the weakest, and even those the world calls “stupid” or “ugly.” If you feel like a misfit, don’t be offended—I’m right there with you. God knows that these are the very people who can “hit the ball out of the park” because they aren’t relying on their own strength.
The “Goofy” Greatness of George Whitefield
To understand how God uses the “unacceptable,” we only need to look at history. Consider George Whitefield, one of the most famous evangelists of the 18th century.
If you saw a drawing of Whitefield, you might chuckle. His eyes were set close together and severely crossed. In his youth, he was painfully skinny. By today’s social media standards, he was “goofy-looking.” The established Church of England found him entirely unacceptable. They hated his “theatrical” sermons—his voice would boom and then whisper, his arms would wave about like a duck taking flight.
The “first” of the religious world rejected him. So, what did Whitefield do? He went to the “last.” He went to the fields, the coal mines, and the street corners.
Because he was rejected by the church buildings, he became an outdoor preacher. This “unacceptable” man became the spark for the Great Awakening. He brought thousands upon thousands to the feet of Jesus. If he had been a “polished” pastor in a comfortable building, he never would have been as effective. God used his “weakness” to shake two continents.
The Harvest and the Barn
We often wait for the harvest to come to us. We build beautiful churches and wait for people to walk in. But look at Jesus’ model in Matthew 9:35-38:
“Jesus went through all the towns and villages… When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”
Jesus didn’t stay in the temple. He went to the villages. He saw the “harassed and helpless”—the people the world had discarded. He told His disciples that the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.
I remember a dream I had years ago. God showed me a massive barn and then a sprawling field of golden wheat. He asked me a simple question: “Where is the harvest?” I replied, “In the field.” He said, “Then go and get it!”
That dream changed my life. It grew my gift of evangelism. I realized that the “wheat” isn’t sitting inside the barn (the church) waiting to be processed; it’s out in the elements, waiting for someone to come and gather it.
I laugh when I think about it now. My parents used to tell me I was good for nothing and would never amount to anything. The world gave me a “last place” label. But God chose me anyway. I’m doing more for the Kingdom than anyone ever expected, not because I’m great, but because God is great at using “nothing.”
Getting Your Hands Dirty
God is still doing this today. Think of Nick Vujicic, the famous Australian evangelist. He was born without arms or legs. By the world’s standard of “physical perfection,” he was a reject. Yet, he is married, has children, and travels the globe speaking to millions.
God is sending a message to the “rejects” of the world: “I must have you!”
The call of the Gospel isn’t to be a “polished professional.” It’s to get your hands dirty, just like Jesus did. He touched the lepers, He ate with the sinners, and He died between two thieves.
In Luke 10:23-24, Jesus told His disciples:
“Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see… many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it.”
We are living in the “last days.” There are things God wants to reveal to you that kings of old would have traded their crowns for. When you stop trying to fit the world’s “image profile” and start embracing your identity in Christ, you find:
- True Joy: The happiness that comes from serving others.
- Fulfillment: The peace of knowing you are doing what you were created for.
- De-stressing: Learning to rely on God’s strength rather than your own thin frame.
- Peace: The quiet confidence that comes through Jesus’ redemption.
Don’t let the world tell you who you are. Let the Creator tell you who you are. You might be last in the world’s eyes, but in the Kingdom, you’re exactly who God wants on the front lines.
The love of Christ be with you all. God bless.
Called 4 Jesus 