With the San Francisco 49ers preparing to play in their second-consecutive NFC Championship Game, it's easy to forget the incredible story of their starting quarterback, Brock Purdy. After a standout collegiate career at Iowa State, Purdy was selected as “Mr. Irrelevant” - the title given to the last player selected in the 2022 NFL Draft. The title “Mr. Irrelevant” was created as a way to highlight the fact that some people said it was “irrelevant” who was selected as the last pick since that player wouldn’t accomplish anything of significance at the professional level. But less than two years removed from being named “Mr. Irrelevant,” Purdy has clearly emerged as one of the league’s young star quarterbacks. Interestingly, The Athletic was able to obtain one NFL team’s pre-draft analysis of Purdy, giving us a glimpse into what teams thought of him leading up to the draft. The analysis, which stated that the team had “no interest” in drafting Purdy, concluded that he was, “sawed off … not a very good athlete … limited arm, both in strength and throw repertoire.” This anonymous team, as well as many others, believed that Purdy lacked the qualities and characteristics necessary to be a legitimate NFL signal caller. Thankfully, Purdy didn't let those perceived weaknesses prevent him from working hard at the task at hand to achieve his desired outcome. As followers of Christ, we can often find ourselves feeling like we don’t possess the right characteristics or qualities to succeed at the task of “making disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). We can feel like our ministry efforts will be limited by our flaws or inexperience. In other words, we end up feeling like our attempts to reach others for Christ are “irrelevant.” Biblically speaking, however, the only thing that is truly “irrelevant” is how we feel about our abilities. In a portion of Scripture in which the Apostle Paul was writing about the ministry that believers have to reach the world with the gospel of Christ, he asks in 2 Corinthians 2:16b (ESV), “Who is sufficient for these things?” Paul is asking, “Who among us is actually qualified to be an effective minister for Christ?” The implied answer, of course, is that nobody is qualified. Thankfully, Paul continued his thought a few verses later by writing, “Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (2 Corinthians 3:5-6, ESV) Paul’s main point is that nobody is sufficient or qualified in their own strength, but all followers of Jesus have been made sufficient by God to be effective ministers. For us, that means how we feel about ourselves is totally irrelevant. If you are in Christ, you have been made sufficient to be a minister of the good news of the gospel! So today, let’s stop making excuses about our effectiveness in reaching others for Christ, and let’s wholeheartedly believe God’s truth that we've been made sufficient in Christ...moving forward in obedience to the mission He's given us. I’m Matt Osborne, and you can UNPACK that! Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you that my sufficiency as a minister of the gospel comes completely from You. Please forgive me for the times I've failed to be obedient in ministering to others, and please give me grace and strength to be confident in You moving forward. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
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