“When you practice summer appetite-denying discipline to better concentrate on God, don’t make a production out of it. It might turn you into a small-time celebrity (Pharisees and Saducees being experts in this and so does others as well!) But it won’t make you a saint. If you go into training inwardly, act normal outwardly. Shampoo and comb your hair, brush your teeth, wash your face. God doesn’t require attention-getting devices. He won’t overlook what you are doing, he’ll reward you well.” (Matthew 6:16-18, MSG)

In other words, whatever you do, do it all for God. Otherwise we are defeating our purpose. It’s when we are inconspicuous that we will find blessings from above.

Let me illustrate this with a true story that happened in 1994 in a Food Lion grocery store in Avon, North Carolina.

Upon opening his store this particular day, the store owner certainly didn’t anticipate finding unusual guests, and he must have stood back in shock as 4 wild horses entered his establishment for a stroll.

The owner immefiately thought they had come for the produce. The sheriff was called, and his suggestion was that they try to make a human chain to herd the horses out of the store.

“That’s a good idea!” The owner thought.

“Such a tactic can bring some complications,” the sheriff warned.

“Complications?”

“Yeah,” was the disconcerting reply.

“What kind of complications?” Urged the store owner.

“Well,” replied the sheriff, “a human chain could frighten the horses, and when they are scared, they might do something that may stink up the store.”

“The store? Wait a minute, we can’t do that! After all this is a grocery store!”

As a result, they had no choice but to let the horses have free rein to wander the aisles, just like ordinary customers. Amazingly, they never touched the produce. Or anything else, for that matter. Nor did they leave behind any “road apples”. In fact, they eventually left of their own accord. They probably found it rather boring to be followed by humans!

In the end, the perfectly gentle horses never tried to take advantage of the owner; and the owner was also a perfect gentleman.

The store owner thought the incident might ruin him, and he tried to keep his little equestrian visitation out of the news. News spread, nonetheless. What the store owner didn’t anticipate was that more and more customers began shopping at his store, and these were of the paying type! His store soon began bringing in four times the revenue of the other Food Lion stores in the area.

Being humble, whether horse or man, makes a difference. I am certain that these horses will never forget the store owner’s hospitality!

There are better ways to make a difference in this world than by trying to be the center of attention…

Rob Chaffart

(To access the entire “Majestic Mountain View” devotional series, please click here.)