Being Faithful in God's calling

Raise your hand if you’ve also skipped over or skimmed the sections of Scripture with endless names. (Ok, so now that we’ve all been honest…) Over the past few months, I’ve read through some of the Old and New Testament with unending chapters of people’s names, their specific roles, or the census numbers of those associated with them. And while it might seem insignificant, I’ve been struck by how many people in Scripture aren’t mentioned by name… There are so many people throughout Scripture that we don’t know much (or anything!) about. We might read about tribes or families, or maybe even just what people did (think re-building the walls in Jerusalem, the Levites serving in the temple, or those part of the early church in Acts), but that’s all we know. We really don’t get specifics or learn anything aside from people faithfully working and serving to further the Kingdom, regardless of whether they would be recognized for their efforts and dedication. 

I think we’re tempted to measure our work (and our worth) by our recognition; if we don’t immediately see the fruit of our labor or if we’re not recognized for it, we start to question if it’s all really worth it. But that’s not how the Kingdom works. Our history as the Church is full of people we’ve never heard of. These people were faithful in their everyday, ordinary lives because they believed that the One who called them to those “boring” things was worth it. 

As believers, we’re called to love the Lord and to love those around us, to use our gifts and abilities to further the Kingdom, and to be faithful in the work He has called us to, regardless of the praise of man. Maybe you do big, public, recognizable work for the Gospel – great! Maybe you’re in an office answering phones or at home chasing kids or running to practice, that’s awesome! The Lord has placed each of us in situations where we can love others and use our influence to honor Him; we can choose to be faithful in the big things and in the small, mundane things of our everyday lives.

The reality is, most of us will never be well-known or famous for what we’ve done. And like many in Scripture, we might not see the outcome of our faithfulness, but we trust in the One who is faithful. We trust, that when we are faithful in the everyday moments, He multiplies those moments, and we join the chorus of the many faithful who have gone before us – whether we’ve ever read their names or not.

- Stacie Steel