OPEN: "We rarely use the word ’cure,’" said the psychiatrist to his patient. "But after 5 years of therapy it is my pleasure to pronounce you completely cured." To his surprise an unhappy look came over the woman’s face. "What’s wrong?" he asked. "I thought you’d be thrilled."
"Oh, it’s fine for you," she said, "but 3 years ago I was Joan of Arc. Now I’m nobody."
APPLY: Yes, that was a joke… but what that person was saying was: “I’m not important, I’m not significant – it doesn’t matter who I am… because I have no value.” Like the woman at the well, they see their lives as of no importance whatsoever.
I believe that deep down inside each of us wants to be significant, wants to make difference.
Tony Campolo wrote: There is a latent desire in every human being to do something of worth that will have lasting significance. There is a longing in most people to do something that will make life better for others.
According to one Spanish philosopher "There is an urge in every man to render himself indispensable.
ILLUS: Several years ago, a study was taken of fifty people over the age of 95 were asked to respond to one question: "If you could live your life over again, what would you do differently… Three answers constantly emerged and dominated the results of the study.
1. I would reflect more
2. I would risk more
3. I would do more things that would live on after I am dead.
Why were those answers so dominant? Because those who were surveyed wanted to believe that it mattered that they had lived. That they had made a difference.
To one degree or another, we all want to believe that it matters that we have lived and that we have made a difference.
I. God says we can.
Ephesians 2:10 declares: "We are His workmanship, created Christ Jesus for good works that He prepared in advance for us to do."
This tells me two things
1. You and I have a distinctive task designed for especially for us.
2. God wants you and I to do something special. We can make a difference.
IN FACT: 2 Corinthians 9:8 tells us "God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all you need, you will abound in every good work."
BUT in spite of this reality Howard Hendricks once observed: "I’ve never met a Christian who planned to have a mediocre life. But I’ve met plenty of mediocre Christians."
In other words, there are a lot of Christians doing nothing more than just existing.
Why would that be?
II. One reason may be that mediocre Christians don’t consider their role to be very important.
Their idea of being a good Christian may be to come and sit in church. Maybe they have never realized God desired to use them.
Or, maybe they don’t want to be used.
OR, maybe they’ve already done some things for the church and they want to retire. They feel they’ve done their part
ILLUS: I recently heard of a congregation where the members refused to work in the nursery. Their explanation? They had already “put in their time” Let somebody else do it for awhile.
They believed that there was a point where one “Retired” from serving God. They felt there came a time when you could choose not to be used by God.
That type person makes you wonder if understand they really understood what Jesus had done for them. It’s as if they were saying: “Yes Jesus I know you died for me… BUT I’ve paid my debt. We’re square now! AND I have this thing I need to do that’s so much more important than anything You may want me to do!”
BUT on an even more basic level they are declaring to the King of all the Universe – I know you want me to do something special, I know you’ve given me the privilege of working with You to change the world… but I have something more important on my plate.
ILLUS: Steve Jobs (founder of Apple Computer) once gave John Sculley this challenge when he was trying to woo Sculley away from being President of Pepsi-Cola. Jobs asked him: "Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water or do you want a chance to change the world?"
God puts the same kind of challenge in front of us… “Do you want to spend the rest of your life on things that may not matter 5 years from now… may not make a difference in eternity… OR do you want a chance to change the world.
The Apostle Paul once told some friends “I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me
ILLUS: At the first congregation I served, I met a woman who lived out that very reality. I don’t remember her name now, but she was living in a Nursing Home at the time. She had suffered a stroke that rendered the left side of her body totally useless. Her left arm was useless, as was her left leg, and the left side of face drooped and looked lifeless as she spoke. It was disconcerting to visit with her because she always cried during our conversations. She’d cry if you told her something sad and she’d cry when you’d tell her something happy. If anyone had the right to retire from serving God - this woman did.
But on more than one occasion, when I came to visit, I found her sitting in her chair stooped over her little table writing letters to the people back at church. Letters of encouragement. When I realized that, I never looked at ministry the same way again. Here was a woman bowed and broken by physical infirmity and yet she was still seeking to minister from her room at the Nursing Home.
III. Another reason Christians might live mediocre lives is: they don’t know what God wants them to do.
For some reason they believe that every task they do for God has to be eye-catchingly dramatic. something earthshaking, something they can sink their teeth into. In the process of seeking these spectacular ministries they overlook the opportunities of the "small things."
We find in John 4:27 that "Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, ’What do you want?’ or ’Why are you talking with her?’"
Why were the disciples surprised that Jesus was talking with the Samaritan woman? Because she was a woman and a half breed Samaritan to boot. She was insignificant. AND Jesus’ contact with her was over a matter of asking for water. It was a small thing, an insignificant opportunity. BUT because Jesus acted on a small opportunity with an insignificant woman of a despised people - because of that simple interaction with this simple woman people came to Jesus and experienced a change their lives.
Zechariah chides us by asking "Who despises the day of small things? (Zechariah 4:10). In other words, don’t despise the small things in life - those are the times when God does His greatest works. Let me tell you a story:
ILLUS: In the spring of 1883 two medical students had just graduated from the University of Michigan. Ben, the short and stocky graduate attempted to entice Will, his tall thin friend, to go with him to New York: "We’ll make a great team. There are a lot of wealthy people back East - we’ll be rich in no time. What do you say?"
"You’re probably right Ben," Will responded.
"Well, then, come East with me. We’ll travel in Europe, hobnob with all the greats of the world. We’ll meet beautiful, rich young women. With our talent we can’t miss."
Will was silent for a moment, then said, "It’s tempting Ben, but it’s just not what I want. I want first of all to be a great surgeon - the very best if I have the ability..."
"And you will be," the other interrupted. "What’s wrong with getting rich in the process?"
"Nothing, I suppose. But what about these people here? They need good doctors too - even if they can’t always pay. No, I think I should go back to my home state and give them all the help I can."
Weeks later they parted: Ben to New York with his dream of getting rich treating the wealthy and powerful of the city. Will headed for Minnesota where he‘d be a horse and buggy surgeon, helping his father, a general practitioner, the two of them ministered to the sick in the small towns and farms in and around their home town.
In the years that followed nothing much was heard of Ben. As for Will, he & his younger brother Charles developed the Mayo Clinic. Eventually, Will Mayo did treat the wealthy and powerful from the East - but he did not go to them in New York… they came to Rochester.
DO NOT DESPISE THE DAY OF SMALL THINGS. Jesus said: "anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."
WHY would He say that? Because people have tendency to look the small things as unimportant. But in God’s eyes, there are no small things. Anything done in God’s name is important to God.
As it tells us in Heb 6:10 "God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people "
