Articles
Our Little Corner of the World
On the whole, the Bible story focuses on the major characters that foster events on a grand scale: Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, Elijah, Peter, Paul, etc. It can be tempting to disassociate ourselves from these “giants” thinking that God is only concerned about people who accomplish great things for His cause.
While it is true that God utilized men and women of faith at pivotal moments in history, it is also true that He nurtured and prepared them for those select opportunities. Further, Scripture testifies to the ordinariness of these characters by exposing their flaws. A mere glance at the above list should call to mind the human weaknesses of each.
We should also remember the principle stated several times in Scripture: “For there is no partiality with God” (Rom 2:11; cf. Ac 10:34; Eph 6:9; 1 Pet 1:17). The greatest players in the story of faith were merely servants whom God empowered and used for His purposes. They simply did His bidding and are entitled to no special favor for their achievements: “Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase” (1 Cor 3:5-7).
At the risk of excusing underachievement or justifying contentment with second rate effort, it is important to acknowledge that few in the history of mankind have names remembered in perpetuity. Most of us will pass our days without being widely known or altering the whole course of history. Our great-grandchildren will probably have trouble remembering our names and will be unaware of the day-to-day role we played in nurturing their grandparents. If God desires to place us at the crossroads of history and use us in some spectacular fashion, then so be it. But until then, we have one main obligation to Him: serve Him to the best of our ability where we are.
*A young mother teaching her little toddler the alphabet in the quietness of her home is giving him skills that will enable him to read Scripture. And what might he do with that knowledge some day?
*A simple prayer offered before a meal in a restaurant may be scoffed at by some but inspiring to others who silently observe. (I recently saw a family giving thanks in Chick-fil-A and stopped by their table to commend them before leaving. They appreciated the gesture.)
*A note of sympathy and concern to a neighbor or co-worker over a loved one’s death may comfort them more than we will ever know.
There were some saints who no doubt were aware of the pivotal role they were playing in God’s affairs. Clearly Elisha understood the significance of continuing Elijah’s work (2 Kgs 2:1-15). Paul clearly grasped his commission as the apostle to the Gentiles (Rom 11:13-14; 15:16; Gal 2:8-9; Eph 3:8; etc.). Esther had her eureka moment via Mordecai (Esth 4:14).
But then there are others who played crucial roles whose names are not even recorded in Scripture:
*A certain brother “whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches” assisted Titus in the Gentile collection, but Paul doesn’t see fit to name him (2 Cor 8:18).
*Paul exhorts his anonymous “true companion” to assist Euodia and Syntyche to get along in the Lord’s work (Ph 4:3).
*Paul’s life was saved by the courageous act of his unnamed nephew (Ac 23:16-21). A very long list of such “unsung heroes” could be listed from Scripture.
We should never despair over any act done in the name of the Lord and for the good of a fellow human being no matter how insignificant it may seem to us. Frankly, we’re not very good at assessing the impact we have on others, and we are even worse at anticipating future results of our actions. Our job is to simply do the work and leave the outcome in God’s hands, “for God is not unjust to forget your works and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister” (Heb 6:10). “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Gal 6:9).
During his recent meeting at the Southwest congregation, Terry McCall observed that we have specific memories and can name those who made meaningful impacts in our lives. Such people are probably unaware of their influence at the time; they are just everyday people doing the right thing at the moment. If we choose to live our lives to impact others for good, and to glorify God in the process, we will light our little corner of the world and find the true value for which so many search in vain.
