Faith's heroes found among the most humble

I find myself drawn to some of the great heroes in the faith. 

Abraham, Moses, David, each leaders in their own right, different in many ways. One was seeking a new home in a foreign land, desperately desiring a child. Another, filled with compassion for his people, poor of speech, yet became God's mouthpiece. And another, a simple shepard boy, turned warrior, turned king. 

All with different roles, personalities, flaws, and skills. So what set them apart? What was it that drew them into a place that God would use them mightily? The answer I come to, time and time again, is they weren’t seeking it. Their desire was to please their King. 

I have seen, and been a man seeking glory for oneself in the name of Christ, for when will my ministry take off the way that “I” expect? When will my church be filled with thousands, and I be seen as a man of greatness? We say, “oh but it’s all to the glory of God.” But jealousy arises when we see others succeed, others who, in fact, are not seeking glory, but in fact seeking Him and Him alone.

In Psalm 22, it prophesies of Christ on the cross, this is of course the Psalm that Jesus references when He proclaims, “my God my God, why have you forsaken me.” And it goes on to say this of Him, our savior:

“But I am a worm and not a man. I am scorned and despised by all.” (Psalms 22:6 NLT)

Let that sit with you, no matter where you are, no matter the role He has called you to in this life, to follow that example of what makes us moldable … humility. The greatness of my God is that He doesn’t need us to be in a seat of power to radically impact the kingdom here on earth.

I think upon the great heroes of faith today, mothers raising up godly children, folks sitting in the pews, talking, laughing, encouraging one another, the stranger in the store that reaches a shelf for you that you can’t. Simple heroes wanting only to spread the goodness of God. 

Don’t get me wrong, as I said, I think often about the great men and women of faith in the scripture, but what I’m getting at, and what they for the most part understood, is that there was nothing great about them, it was always about Him. 

The disciples were a ragtag bunch if we ever saw one. Uneducated fishermen, tax collectors, doctors, etc. but Christ used them powerfully, not in spite of their lowliness, but because of it. I share this today not to tear down, but to provoke thought in one another. 

Have I become like a worm? Humbled to the point where even if all I do is eat dirt, if it is to the glory of God, than I am a man considered great in His eyes, but if I am a man seeking riches and glory, Lord humble me that I might be used again.

Justin Gardner pastors at River of Life Fellowship, 702 Church St., Sandpoint. The church can be reached at 208-255-7111.