Available: When God Uses Ordinary People

God has never required perfection — only willingness.

In this episode of Keepers of the Light, Dylan Burcham explores what it means to be available for God’s purpose in everyday life. Looking through Scripture from the Bible, we see how God consistently chooses ordinary people to carry extraordinary light.

From Moses and David to the quiet faithfulness of believers today, the message is clear: the power is never in the vessel — it’s in the God who fills it.

This episode challenges and encourages listeners to step beyond excuses, embrace their calling, and live as true keepers of the light in a world that desperately needs it.

You don’t need a platform.

You don’t need perfection.

You only need a willing heart.

Your simple “yes” might be the light someone else is praying for.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:15

Praise the Lord, everybody, and welcome back to Keepers of the Light, the official podcast of Gospel Lighthouse Pentecostal Church. As always, I'm your host, Dylan Bircham, and I am so grateful that you're here today. Wherever you are in your faith journey, strong or struggling, confident or questioning, this space has been created for you and with you in mind. Last episode we talked about being unshakable, standing steady, building long-term faith. But today I want to move from standing to serving, from rooted to ready. Today we're going to talk about availability. Because here's a truth that changes everything. God doesn't look for perfection, He looks for those that have made themselves available. Isaiah chapter 6 and verse 8 says, Also I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send and who will go for us? Then said I, here am I, send me. Not I'm qualified, not I'm impressive, not I'm ready. Just here am I send me. If you study scripture carefully, something becomes very clear. God consistently chooses ordinary people. Moses had poor speech, David was overlooked, Peter was impulsive, Paul had a past, and yet God used every one of them powerfully. In 1 Corinthians chapter one and verse twenty seven, the Bible says, But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty. Why? Because when ordinary people are used by God, he gets all the glory. And maybe that's why some of us hesitate. We think I'm not spiritual enough. I don't know enough. I'm not bold enough. But God has never required perfection. I've said it in many episodes lately.

SPEAKER_00 2:42

He requires full surrender. Let's be honest today. We all have internal excuses.

SPEAKER_01 2:53

I don't have time. I don't feel ready. Someone else could do it better than I can. Moses said something similar in Exodus chapter 4 and verse 10. He said, Oh my Lord, I am not eloquent, but I am slow of speech. God didn't argue about Moses' weakness, but he did promise Moses his presence. In chapter 4 and verse 12, it says, Now therefore go and I will be with thy mouth. The power isn't in the vessel, it's in the God who fills the vessel.

SPEAKER_00 3:35

Availability is always greater than ability.

SPEAKER_01 3:43

We often think that God uses people in dramatic ways, but many of the greatest impacts start small. A simple invitation to church, a quiet prayer with a friend, a word of encouragement, a consistent act of kindness. Matthew chapter five and verse sixteen, which is one of the theme verses for this podcast, says, Let your light so shine before men. Notice it doesn't say spotlight, it says light. Light can be steady, consistent, quiet, and still transformative. You may never preach to thousands of people, but you might influence one life deeply, and that matters eternally.

SPEAKER_00 4:37

Let's not pretend this is easy.

SPEAKER_01 4:40

Availability means surrender. Romans twelve and one says, present your bodies a living sacrifice. A living sacrifice means daily surrender. It means adjusting your schedule. It means stepping outside of your comfort zone. It means sometimes being misunderstood. But here's the beauty of it. When you give God your yes, he multiplies it.

SPEAKER_00 5:09

He does not waste surrendered lives.

SPEAKER_01 5:26

John chapter 15 and verse 5 says, For without me, ye can do nothing. But with him, everything changes. The most fulfilled believers aren't the most talented, they're the most available.

SPEAKER_00 5:43

Because purpose fuels passion. And passion sustains faith.

SPEAKER_01 5:51

So maybe you're listening today and you're thinking, okay, but where do I start? Well, the good thing about God is you can start where you are. You can start with what you have, you can start in your home, you can start in your workplace, you can start in your church. Luke chapter 16 and verse 10 says, He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much. So God expands faithfulness. He doesn't demand immediate greatness, he develops it. So your yes to being available to God today could unlock something bigger tomorrow. I want to spend a little time right here because this part isn't just a segment of today's episode. It's who we are. The name of this podcast is not accidental. Keepers of the light. That's not branding language. That's calling language. Light is not something that we produce on our own. Light is something that we carry. John 8 and 12 says, I am the light of the world. He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. Jesus is the source. We are just the carriers. And so carrying light comes with responsibilities. Matthew chapter five and verse fourteen through sixteen, which is one of the foundational verses of this podcast, says ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, and later says, Let your light so shine before men. Notice something. Light doesn't argue with darkness, it overcomes it by existing. You don't fight darkness with noise, you fight it with presence of light. And when you walk into a room with integrity, that's light. One of my main focuses as I walk in daily life, and I've told the ones that surround me in my job, is that we maintain our integrity no matter what. So when we walk into a room maintaining our integrity, that is light. When we respond with grace instead of with anger, that is light. When we refuse compromise in a compromising culture, that's light. And when we forgive when we could retaliate, that's light. Keeping the light means protecting your witness and your testimony. The world doesn't need louder Christians, it needs steadier ones, consistent ones, authentic ones. Philippians chapter two and verse fifteen says that you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, among whom you shine as lights in the world. Shining doesn't require a platform. It requires character, alignment, and availability.

SPEAKER_00 9:17

The truth of the matter is you may never stand behind a pulpit, but you stand in front of people every day.

SPEAKER_01 9:27

Family, co-workers, friends, strangers, and whether you realize it or not, you're either reflecting light or reflecting something else. In the Old Testament of the Bible, priests were instructed to keep the fire on the altar burning continually. Leviticus chapter six and verse thirteen says, The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar, it shall never go out. That required attention, it required tending, it required being intentional, because fire doesn't maintain itself, and neither does our faith. Keeping the light means feeding it. You don't drift into brightness, you drift into dimness because light must be guarded. Some of you today may feel disqualified because of your past, but sometimes the most powerful light shines through cracks. In Second Corinthians chapter 4 and verse 7, the Bible says, But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. You're the vessel. You're the treasure. Broken vessels can still carry treasure. Imperfect people can still carry the light. Redemption is part of the glow. Your testimony might be the very thing that reaches someone who would never listen to anyone else. Let's be honest. It's easy to shine in church. It's easy to shine around believers. But what about difficult workplaces? What about tense family environments? What about friendships that challenge conviction? That's where keeping the light matters the most. Darkness doesn't intimidate light, light defines the environment that it is in. Even small light can change the entire room. You don't have to blaze, you don't have to be the brightest thing around them.

SPEAKER_00 11:57

You just have to be faithful.

SPEAKER_01 12:01

So when you say, Here am I, send me, you're not volunteering for the spotlight, but you're accepting responsibility for the light. You're saying, God, wherever you place me, I will represent you. At home, at work, at school, online, in private, or even in public. Keeping the light means being aligned with Him in all spaces of our life.

SPEAKER_00 12:35

Not having two versions of ourselves, not compartmentalized faith, integrated faith, consistent faith, durable faith.

SPEAKER_01 12:49

Because light spreads. One candle can light another without losing its flame. When you live faithfully, you strengthen others quietly. Your consistency might stabilize someone else's doubt. Your calm nature might steady someone else's anxiety. Your endurance might inspire someone not to quit. You may never know the full impact of your light this side of eternity, but heaven records it and God sees it. So here's the question: Are you protecting your flame? Are you feeding it? Are you willing to carry it? Because the world doesn't need perfect people, it needs faithful people. It needs people who will say, I may be ordinary, but I am willing. I will keep the light. And if we'll live that way, steady, available, rooted, unashamed, the light does not flicker, it multiplies. Let's pray together. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you today for being the source of all light. You are truth in confusion, hope in despair, and clarity in darkness. And today we acknowledge that any light in us comes from you. Lord, help us to be faithful carriers, guard our hearts from compromise, guard our minds from distractions, and guard our spirits so that we don't drift away from who you are. When the world grows darker around us, help us not to grow dimmer, but teach us to protect the flame and be available. When we are tired, give us strength. When we are tempted, make us steady. And when we get discouraged, remind us that it is you that called us. Help us to shine in places that feel uncomfortable. Help us to represent you in rooms that challenge conviction. Help us to respond with grace and integrity when compromise would be convenient. Lord, I ask that you forgive us for moments that we've hidden the light. Forgive us for shrinking back or for silence when you called us to stand or for blending in when you called us to be set apart. Lord, make us bold but gentle, strong but humble, and visible but surrendered to you. Let everyone around us feel the difference. Use our story, even the broken parts, and use our past of proof of your redemption. And Lord, if we ever begin to flicker, draw us back to the source and renew us, restore us, and reignite us. Because we don't want temporary brightness. We want a lasting light to shine to those around us. Make us true keepers of the light. In Jesus' name. Amen. As we close today, I want you to remember something simple. You don't have to be extraordinary to make a difference. You just have to be faithful. Light doesn't announce itself, it just shines. And the world will notice. You may never see the full impact of your obedience this side of eternity. You may never know how one conversation, one act of kindness, one moment of integrity affected someone. But heaven knows, and that is enough. As keepers of the light, our calling isn't to compete with darkness, it is to remain steady in the midst of it, to carry what Christ has given us, to protect it, feed it, share it. So this week I challenge every listener today to be available, be consistent, be intentional, and wherever God places you, shine there. Thank you so much for spending time with me today. And until next time, keep the faith, keep the flame, and keep the light burning.