It is beautiful to serve the Lord in ways no one else sees.
I ran into a longtime friend recently, and asked about her new job. I rejoiced that she is doing amazing things for God. It pretty much made my day.
The next day I was kind of sad. I wasn’t sure why, so I sat with the feeling for a while, accepting it, before I probed further. Eventually I concluded that I kind of wished God asked me to do big things, too.
It’s okay that He doesn’t. I mean, I often struggle with small burdens. But still: I would like to do big things for God.
I pondered that for a while, knowing that feelings aren’t facts. I steered clear of judging myself, since I wasn’t sure how much of my feelings were yearning for God (good) or envy (bad). I prayed a bit. Then a small thought came to me, like a gift: I don’t know how big the things I do for the Lord are in His eyes. I only know how they appear in mine.
Most of us are needed—and in fact very needed!—to fight everyday battles and be witnesses to the everyday presence of Christ in the world. Most of us are asked to represent Jesus in the world without headlines or fanfare. We are asked to be His hands and His words and His love in innumerable quiet ways. We are to model thoughtfulness and generosity and forgiveness to such an extent that others think wish they had whatever it is we have.
That’s not a small task. It’s a vital one.
The truth is that it is a beautiful thing to serve the Lord as a professional who cares for others, and it is beautiful to serve the Lord in ways no one else sees. God knows what we do quietly, without fanfare. He sees that we honor Him even when no one is looking. In His eyes, it’s entirely possible that what we see as little may not be small at all.
