General Eisenhower once chewed out one of his generals for having
referred to a soldier as "just a private."
In the course of that
tongue-lashing, Eisenhower went on record as saying the Army could
probably function better without its generals than it could without its
infantry. Eisenhower concluded, "If this war is won, it will be won by
privates."
Eisenhower understood that little things are not
always so little. For example, a family recently told me a story about
their curious ten-year-old son. Fascinated by his grandfather's pocket
watch, the boy, in a moment of foolish eagerness, had taken the watch
apart. The family informed me he also managed to put it together again,
with the exception of a very small and seemingly insignificant gear.
I don't have to tell you that without the gear the watch didn't run.
In some ways the same thing can be said about the church. Now before
I go any further, it must be stated that God's grace, our forgiveness,
redemption and salvation are not dependent upon anything we do. These
are all gracious gifts from God.
That being said, the church
functions far better when all God's people are using the talents the
Lord has bestowed upon them. Now you and I are fully aware the Holy
Spirit has given us great preachers, and mega-churches headed by
powerful leaders, and wealthy sponsors who are able to finance great
programs.
Some of these servants of the Savior do wonderful work.
Even so, if the Savior's story of salvation is to go everywhere God
wants it to go, if it is to accomplish all He wants it to do, if it is
to reach as many lost souls as He wishes, it will happen when both the
generals and the privates are working in harmony.
To paraphrase
Eisenhower, if the individual battles against Satan are going to be won,
it will be the power of the Holy Spirit working through God's privates
-- that is, the regular Joes and Janes -- the one-gift Christians, who
are the backbone of His church.
This maybe, in part, explains
why, when Jesus picked the men who were going to take the saving message
of salvation to the world He selected some fishermen, a tax-collector, a
religious zealot, and a number of other seemingly unspectacular
individuals.
But by God's grace, will and power look at what they
accomplished. God used them to turn the world upside down. I believe He
will do no less with us, His present-day disciples.
THE PRAYER:
Dear Lord, use me, a poor, miserable-but-forgiven sinner to advance Your
kingdom. Let me give thanks for the gifts You have given and then,
inspired by the Holy Spirit, use those gifts to tell others about what
Jesus has done for them. In His Name I ask it. Amen.
Pastor Ken Klaus
Lutheran Hour Ministries All rights reserved;
not to be duplicated without permission.
