Ordinary Christians

Sometimes it's good to notice the extraordinary impact of ordinary Christians around me.

These are the Christians who serve God faithfully without knowing how much of a difference they are making in the world around them.

They love and respect their husbands and wives. They honor their parents. They nurture, discipline, and instruct their children.

They show up to work on time and ready for the day. They approach their jobs with good attitudes. They care about their co-workers, employees, and customers. They take the time to listen to the concerns of others, sometimes offering helpful advice and sometimes offering a prayer. They are sincere in their gratitude when they are helped; and they are willing to help others whenever possible.

They spend time reading their Bibles and praying. They want to be close to their Lord. They want to know him better. They believe what they read in their Bibles; and they trust that God is listening to their pleas on behalf of the people for whom they pray.

They enjoy worshipping with their local churches. They participate in and teach Bible classes. They clean the church buildings. They mow the grass and shovel the snow on the church's property. They serve food when the church shares meals. They drive the vans to pick up people who want to worship with them.

They volunteer to help teachers at their local schools. They coach and support their children's sports teams. They are involved in their children's scouting programs. They e-mail and meet with their political leaders in support of just legislation or in opposition to unjust legislation. They raise money to fight diseases. They recycle paper, plastic, and aluminum products to help the environment. They get their pets from the local animal shelter.

They share the good news of Christ whenever an opportunity arises. They adopt children, volunteer for pro-life ministries, and sponsor children around the world through Christian relief organizations. They send money to organizations that fight global poverty and others that translate the Scriptures into native languages around the world.

They are ordinary Christians, but they are intentionally committed to doing good so that others are blessed and God is glorified.

"...let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).

A Respectable and Godly Man

A few weeks ago, I heard someone mention that Proverbs 31 is the text commonly used when one teaches about the qualities of a godly woman, and that Job 29 should be the text commonly used when one teaches about the qualities of a godly man. I don't remember who made that point, but it was a good one.

Job 29 describes the characteristics of a man who received high praise from God himself. The Lord said of Job, "(T)here is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil" (Job 1:8).

What would prompt God to say such a thing about a man? Consider Job's description of his life at the time the Lord made those comments:

"...I delivered the poor who cried out for help,
and the fatherless who had none to help him.
The blessing of him who was about to perish came upon me,
and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
I put on righteousness, and it clothed me;
my justice was like a robe and a turban.
I was eyes to the blind
and feet to the lame.
I was a father to the needy,
and I searched out the cause of him whom I did not know.
I broke the fangs of the unrighteous
and made him drop his prey from his teeth...
Men listened to me and waited
and kept silence for my counsel.
After I spoke they did not speak again,
and my word dropped upon them.
They waited for me as for the rain,
and they opened their mouths as for the spring rain.
I smiled on them when they had no confidence,
and the light of my face they did not cast down" (Job 29:12-17, 21-24).

Job cared about the poor, the orphans, and the widows. He helped and encouraged the oppressed. He was consumed with pursuing a right relationship with God and with those around him. He aided the disabled, and actively sought out those who needed his help. He did not back down from a fight against those who would take advantage of others. He was a formidable foe to those who would harm the innocent and the vulnerable. When he spoke, his words were simultaneously weighty and encouraging.

In many ways, Job (like Christ himself) is the model of biblical manhood. The world needs more men like Job.

My goal is to be more like him, too.

Adoption and Manhood

Last week, I read a great post about adopting children even when you already have biological children. It may be found at www.cbmw.org/Blog/Posts/Don-t-You-Already-Have-Kids-Adding-to-Your-Existing-Family-Through-Adoption. I have made most of the same points before on my blog, but the author presented one that I had not considered:

"We are committed to biblical manhood. Men are called to lead, provide, and protect (Gen. 1-2, Eph. 5, 1 Kings 2:1-9, 1 Pet. 3, Col. 3). This is a fundamental teaching of the Bible and it does not merely pertain to the four walls of one's home. Men should be looking for those who need protection and provision. There are fatherless children all over the world. Every year I meet women who are burdened for adoption but their husbands won't budge. It's usually something about retirement, college costs, or they are finally able to afford that boat they always wanted. In our home, the men lead and sacrificially give of themselves for the good of others."

After reading that paragraph, I was reminded of Job, a good man in the Bible who "delivered the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to help him...(who) was a father to the needy, and (who) searched out the cause of him whom (he) did not know" (Job 29:12, 16). His example is worthy of imitation.

Encouragement Through Hardship

"Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly" (Philippians 1:14).

I find Christianity to be most attractive when I see faithful Christians enduring hardship with God-honoring attitudes and actions.

When I read about a man who went to jail and ministered to fellow inmates rather than agree to stop offering pregnant women positive alternatives to abortion, I was encouraged.

When I heard about a cancer patient who thanked God for his cancer because he was able to share the gospel uninterrupted with his doctors and nurses, I was encouraged.

When I heard about a manager who lost his job for refusing to falsify records and spent the rest of his life in a low-paying job because loyalty to Christ was more important than money and status, I was encouraged.

Those men never compromised their faith. They accepted disgrace, criticism, and disruptions to their lives because they saw the glory of God as far more important than their physical or social discomfort. In doing so, they encouraged fellow believers and attracted the attention of unbelievers.

My Job, My Ministry

"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody" (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12).

Like most Christians, I do not spend most of my time doing official "church work." Most of my ministry involves serving my family and the people on my job. Here are a few ideas for ministering on a secular job that I have found beneficial:

1. Contact the people at your workplace who are going through difficult times. I have made it a habit to call people who have been suspended for drug abuse and theft, as they await the outcome of investigations. They have appreciated prayers and offers to help. Usually they are surprised that they have been contacted by anyone, especially a Christian, but they love knowing that someone cares about them despite their innocence or guilt. One former co-worker told me, "I always thought of you as a kind of pastor...an ornery one, for sure, but a pastor anyway." I'm not a pastor, of course, but she was trying to let me know that it meant a great deal to her that I had cared about her and her problems. People need to know that God's people care about them despite their sins. They need to see a God of grace in the lives of his church.

2. Offer to pray for your customers. I have met people who have been going through surgery, cancer treatments, the loss of spouses, and recovery from broken bones. Each one has appreciated the offer to pray for them. It has built a rapport with several of them.

3. Seek help from your local church and other Christians. I have added my customers and co-workers to my local church's prayer list (with their permission). I have sought help from our food bank for someone who was needing help. I have sought help from our recovery minister for those who have had drug and alcohol addictions. I cannot do everything. Often, I cannot do much of anything. I need the help of fellow Christians with many of the situations I have faced.

If you have other ideas about how to serve Christ on the secular job, please feel free to leave a comment. I'm always looking for ways to do it more effectively and consistently. Thanks!