Last night I was woken up by, I believe, the Holy Spirit discussing with me the idea of invisible Christians. Oh, I’m not talking about being the kind of Christian where even your neighbors don’t know that you’re saved (you look so much like the world). No, my thoughts began, I think, when I had a few minutes last evening and began to do Internet searches for people that I know or have known. It’s amazing how much trivia is on the Internet, trivia that we might consider to be important (when it’s not). And it doesn’t take much to be considered famous or well-known these days, particularly with the Internet. Write a blog or participate in a discussion board and your name is likely to be Googled.
That’s not necessarily the mark of importance or fame, but getting one’s name “out there” could be the first step.
I got to wondering how many saints of the Lord that I’d known might be on the Internet. I searched for one . . . and then another . . . usually with no results. People who are, on the whole, forgotten by the world. What’s left is a headstone and some fading snapshots in an old album gathering dust.
Except in the heart of God. For the Father remembers even the lowliest of His saints and will one day give them the honor that they have earned by being obedient to His Word.
The fact is, as Christians, our motto should be the same as John the Baptist’s: “He (the Lord Jesus) must increase, but I must decrease.” It doesn’t matter whether or not we published a book or led a crusade or were featured on a television talk show. None of that matters.
When we were pastoring a charming older lady (a widow) was attending the church. She had been a member there for many years and had served in many important capacities including on the board of elders. Now, she simply came, believing that her age restricted her from leading, her slowed mind restricted her from teaching, her wavering voice restricted her from singing in the choir. So, instead, she joined my husband and I on a hot summer day (in a church with no air conditioning) to clean the church. She tackled the kitchen alone, washing every dish, wiping out every cupboard, making the entire place shine.
Her name is Myrtle Barker.
She felt that she could no longer contribute in any other area, but she still had strong hands and a willing spirit and would work where no one would see and where no compliments would come. But she knew the Lord would see and she was willing to do whatever she could to still serve Him.
We often look for recognition or fame or at least a compliment. And yet, how many unnamed saints have fallen on the road, unappreciated, unrecognized (except by the Savior)? For every missionary whose story is told over and over there are 100 whose names have been long forgotten. For every pastor who’s published a book, there are thousands who served in tiny churches, content to work there if that was where the Lord called them. For every person who’s starred in a movie or been interviewed on TV or produced a musical album, there are millions of believers who lived their lives quietly, who prayed everyday, who studied the Word, and who disappeared from the face of the earth without a trace . . . except the legacy of service left behind.
Matthew 25:34-40 NRSV: “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’”
Do you feel invisible? Do you feel that your talents or abilities or desires could be destined for greater things, but God hasn’t opened the doors? Do you wonder why those who are well-known seem so petty in spirit while there are those who are truly serious about their faith and are ignored? Have you been passed over, forgotten, disregarded?
There are saints of scripture whose names are unknown but whose deeds are recounted in Hebrews 11. The chapter ends:
“Yet all these, though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised . . . “ (v. 39 NRSV). They didn’t receive what was promised in this life, but will receive it with us in the life to come. Christianity was never intended to make us famous in the world. We are living for the day when we will inherit the kingdom, a kingdom that is so overwhelming that the Father prepared it from the foundation of the world.
When I think about these things, I realize that I don’t need the temporary rush of fame or glory or riches or even recognition. I can learn to be content with what God has given me, for the best is yet to come.
It’s really not so bad to be invisible . . . because I’m not invisible to Him!
© 2008 Robin L. O’Hare. All Rights Reserved. International copyright reserved. This study may be copied for nonprofit and/or church purposes only without permission when copied in its entirety (including this notice).
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