I always enjoy reading the beginning and the end of Paul's epistles to the different churches. I always glean so much insight from those names which are listed in the opening and closing statements. Rarely do we hear more than a sentence or two about any of them. Some are praised and commended for their service, while others are chastised for their carnal ways. I read those passages and try to imagine what would be written about me, then adjust my life so that the author would be able to say things about me which would encourage others to follow my example of faithfulness. What would Paul write about your life and your faith?
One of my favorites is Tychicus because of the comments made about him and because I enjoy saying his name. But today, I want to share with you about another: Onesiphorus. You can read about him in 2 Timothy 1:16-18, which you should do now. Paul says that Onesiphorus sought Paul out while Paul was in prison. He brought encouragement and strength to Paul when Paul needed it the most. Yet, there are very few verses about the life on Onesiphorus. He is what I call the "Silent Servant" - A servant of the Lord and the church who gets no pay and very little praise. He doesn't do something we would consider "great" or would get him invited to speak at a church conference. He would be the one cleaning up after that conference or praying for that conference or driving the "famous" speakers around or greeting people as they entered the conference. He would need to wear a name badge because his face and name would almost be anonymous. Yet, no event would be successful and make an impact without the myriad of Onesiphoruses doing the Silent Servant work.
This past Friday, our church attempted a huge outreach event for us called the Hillcrest Community Fair. It is an event in which we offer a meal, treats, games, prizes, activities, crafts, live music and much more to the community all free of charge. It is a fun, safe and free evening where families can relax and play together. We had over 170 guests come to Hillcrest who enjoyed the barbecued chicken dinner and the variety of activities available. There were lots of smiling faces and full stomachs. All of this made possible by the many Silent Servants at Hillcrest. Those who served at the Fair were stuck in their one place of ministry for the entire evening. They didn't get to see everything else going on at the Fair. They didn't even get to eat the chicken dinner and had to eat before they came. They greeted people with a smile and spent time getting to know the visitors.
I would not even begin to try to name the Silent Servants and the work they did because I would miss a lot of them. I would miss them because so many of them served in ways I did not see nor even hear about. They did what needed to be done. They had a heart for Jesus and the community, then put action to their hearts. I always look at an event our church hosts and asks myself this question: "If I came to this event, what would I honestly think?" So many times, we are afraid to be honest about how the community probably views an event. I don't know if I would have been overly impressed by the activities, even though there were quite a few. There weren't many activities that I could not experience in other places. But what would affect me would the two things: (1) The cost - It was all free with no hidden hook. That would really cause me to wonder what was happening at this church. (2) The smile on the workers' faces - It seemed like the workers were having as much fun and the participants. Those two things would make me want to come back. Those two things are the result of Silent Servants doing their thing.
Rarely are we ever involved in ministries where we don't run into some servants who only want to serve in a particular place or fashion. You know, the ones who will help but only if they can help in their particular way. They certainly won't stick around to clean up or come during the week to sweep the parking lot or stuff envelopes or bring lunch to a group that is working. We all know of the servants who only want to serve if they are in front of the crowd and in the spotlight. These kind of servants give servants a bad name and there are too many of them in the church. I praise God that such servants were not a part of the Fair. The Silent Servants were out in force and made an impact on our community.
The next time your church is planning a ministry, ask the leaders how you can serve in ways that no one else wants to serve. What can you do to make their job smoother that is the dirty job? Examine your life today and determine to be a Silent Servant, doing what needs to be done to impact the world with the love of Jesus through your Church. If you do this, you will take a Sip from God's Well of peace and satisfaction, which is eternal!
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