Guest post by Kaitlyn Donihue. This article was originally published on The Rebelution.
George Muller cared for ten thousand orphans.
Don Richardson preached the gospel to a violent tribe who had never heard it before. He saw half of those people embrace Christ.
David Wilkerson preached the gospel to the gangs of New York City and watched as God transformed the lives of countless drug addicts.
Following In Their Footsteps
When I look at these great Christian heroes, I feel overwhelmed. I too want to serve the Lord, but there are so many needs. Where should I start?
There are an estimated one hundred and fifty-three million orphans worldwide and the number is only growing. There are still thousands of unreached people groups who desperately need the gospel. There are an estimated forty million slaves in the world today.
These statistics make me want to hide from the world rather than engage it. After all, what can I possibly do to help one hundred and fifty-three million orphans or forty million slaves?
One Step At A Time
What I often forget is that no one starts by changing the world but rather by helping one person at a time. George Muller did not take in ten thousand orphans all at once, Don Richardson did not see a violent, headhunting tribe become devoted followers of Jesus in one day, and David Wilkerson’s preaching did not reach hundreds of gang members immediately.
What we see in their lives is years upon years of faithful service. They were faithful in the mundane moments of everyday life. They were obedient to the Lord one year, one day, one moment at a time and all of those acts of simple obedience added up into extraordinary lives.
George Muller was faithful and obedient when God called him to serve the orphans of Bristol. He began his ministry by simply opening his home once a week and inviting street children in for breakfast and bible stories.
Don Richardson was faithful and obedient when God called him to serve the Sawi people, spending countless hours studying their language so that he could share with them the message of Christ.
David Wilkerson was faithful and obedient when God asked him to stop watching television for two hours each night and pray during that time instead.
Will You Be Faithful In The Little?
Serving God is not glamorous. Much of the time it is the little, unnoticed actions like a breakfast club, language study, or time spent in secret prayer which pave the way for greater things later. If we want to make a difference in this world, it is imperative that we learn to be faithful in the everyday moments of life and obedient to the Holy Spirit’s promptings.
What about you? Are you practicing obedience in the little things and faithfulness in the mundane?
Luke xvi.10 (ESV) says, “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.”
It is here, in the little things, that we are made ready for greater things.
An extraordinary life is simply the accumulation of faithful service in everyday, ordinary moments.
In Christ
Kaitlyn