A Methodist couple involved in sacrificial ministry write that they sometimes feel “on the shelf,” and that their efforts frequently go unappreciated. Perhaps these words of encouragement to them will connect with some other hearts which share this couple’s godly desires and human frustrations.
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Never forget that God is using and will use you both, according to his sovereign will. Part of my problem (and perhaps I am not alone in this) is in regarding as meaningless the one-on-one encounters and small, obscure events, the daily good deeds and common acts of obedience which go unannounced before and unreported afterward. It is helpful — and humbling — to recall that most details of the lives of most people who have ever lived on the earth occurred in the shadows.
The relatively recent invention of mass media and instant communication has made possible religious “stars.” And that has improperly led many of us to think that the alternative to stardom is insignificance — that we are either famous or a nobody. In our saner moments, we know better, but I am convinced that the temptation to such thinking is both real and prevalent. As my wife faithfully reminds me, I have been given far more attention already than she or most of God’s people ever receive, and probably considerably more than I deserve if I never received any more forever.
I must remember always that God sees everything I say and do. When I really come to believe that his judgment and opinion are the only ones that matter eternally, I will finally realize that God’s observation and his approval are quite enough for this life as well (1 Cor. 15:58).