BEHIND THE SCENES

We’re living in a world where we want to be recognized for what we do or what we say or how we look. We care about how many likes we get on social media and how many followers we have, trying to become Instagram famous. We want to make a lot of money, drive the fanciest car and have the biggest house. We want to be seen, to be heard and to be recognized. What’s that saying? “Give credit where credit is due”. 

It doesn’t matter the title we have in the front or at the end of our name. It doesn’t matter if we have an MA, a BA or a GED. It doesn’t matter if we’ve spoken in front of millions, thousands, hundreds or just five people. It doesn’t matter if we are awarded a Pulitzers Prize, a gold medal, a championship trophy or a 5th place ribbon. It doesn’t matter whether we’re nationally known or no one outside of our family and friends knows our name. What matters is what we do and who we are behind the scenes, that’s where the real recognition lies. It matters if we’re living according to God’s laws, if we’re forgiving as God forgave us, if we’re righteous, if we share the good news of Jesus, if we’re loving our enemies, if we’re paying our tithes regularly & cheerfull and if we’re teaching our children to leave a godly legacy. What matters is that whatever we do, we do it with joy, with love and we do it for the glory of God.

You may not have made teacher of the year but God sees that many of your students who go to college and become successful always name you as the teacher who made a difference in their lives. God sees how you, at times, use your own money to get supplies that your students need because the school’s budget won’t cover the costs. 

Your team may not have won the championship but God sees how you would pick up some of your players, who didn’t have transportation to away games. God sees how you mentor the boys and make sure their grades are good. God see that you are the only positive male role model in some of their lives.

There are many women in the Bible who had such an impact on history but whose names we do not know. They’re simply identified as the woman with the issue of blood (Luke 8:43-48), the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:4-26), or the Sinful Woman (Luke 7:36-50). What about the women who followed Jesus in Luke 8:1-3?, for they helped finance Jesus’ ministry:

Luke 8:1-3 NLT

1Soon afterward Jesus began a tour of the nearby towns and villages, preaching and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom of God. He took his twelve disciples with him, 2along with some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. Among them were Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons; 3Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s business manager; Susanna; and many others who were contributing from their own resources to support Jesus and his disciples.

Because their names are not mentioned in the scripture, does it mean that their contributions to the ministry were any less impactful than those whose names are listed? Just because we’re not in the limelight doesn’t mean we don’t shine. Just like in the music world, everyone knows the name of the person who sings their favorite song, but may not know the writer of that song. The writer is just as important.

Our names may not be known around the world but God knows our names. We may not be recognized or thanked or appreciated by our families or employers for all that we do, but God sees the work that we do behind the scenes for His kingdom.

SHAWN SMITH