Faithfulness

God hasn’t called any of us to be successful, but He has called every one of us to be faithful.

Recently, the world of Christian radio ministry said goodbye to a giant among giants when Brother Don Wildmon, founder of Americn Family Association and American Family Radio went home to be with the Lord. Heaven only knows how many lives were touched and brought into the Kingdom of God because of his faithfulness to the unique calling God had placed on his life. I remember Brother Don saying on one occasion that God hasn’t called any of us to be successful, but He has called every one of us to be faithful. Truer words have never been spoken! While countless numbers of people will be familiar with the impact this giant of a man of God had upon his generation, I find myself quietly pondering some lesser known giants that I had the honor of serving alongside in Christian ministry whose faithfulness made significant ripples in the pond of many lives. Allow me to briefly share a snapshot of two giants of faithfulness…

Rita Perry was what I call a “go-getter”. If she could dream it up, she believed with all her heart that it could happen, and she worked tirelessly to bring dreams into reality. Rita was the heart and soul of children’s ministry at our church and was an inspirer of many in that arena. Her faithfulness to “See a need; Fill a need” as Rodney Copperbottom from the movie, “Robots” would say was the catalyst that caused others to trust in Jesus and others to step up in their service in the church. Whether it was the planning and implementing of Vacation Bible School, organizing a Valentine event, or rallying the troops to use the sewing room to make something she heard so-and-so needed, Rita was always busy about the Lord’s work. When she made her journey into the arms of Jesus, her work continued through the lives of others that were inspired by her faithfulness to serve. She was a giant among faithful servants of God. I loved her. She loved me. And I miss her.

Gene Phillips was, as a line in an old Country Music song relates, “plain as yeller pudding.”! Forty years of faithfulness and excellence in being a school teacher resulted in countless comments and testimonies about the impact he had on lives when he walked through the gates of glory. His faithfulness to the ministry positions he held at our church have yet to be fully replaced, and his faithfulness to bring a smile to the faces of customers at our church’s thrift store is still missed by many. Gene’s commitment to living a simple, obedient life unto Jesus Christ enabled him to be a faithful vessel God used to impact the lives of an untold number of people. Some he knew; some he didn’t; But each one of them he cared about and demonstrated the love of Jesus towards. What causes a man to devote his life to a lifestyle of simplicity and contentment? Just a heart of gratitude towards the Lord who had been faithful to him time and time again, and a determination to reciprocate that faithfulness to as many other people as possible. Gene – the retired school teacher and Thrift Store volunteer – a giant among us. I was his student. I became his pastor. It was a privilege being his friend. I miss him.

Without being aware of it, we are all living our lives among some modern-day giants of the faith. Some are pastors. Some are teachers. Some are the guy or gal that sits in the pew in front of or behind us. But all of them are examples of the operative word that oozes out of the lives of these giants – FAITHFULNESS. As Don Wildmon said so long ago, if you want to make an impact on this world around you, understand that God has called each of us to that task – the task of Faithfulness (Revelation 2:10). I hope these brief stories of some modern-day giants has inspired you to live a life of faithfulness in whatever specific niche God has given you to serve in. BE FAITHFUL! And when our paths cross sometime in the future down the stream of life’s ever-flowing way, we can talk of the giants God gave us to inspire us and the ways He used us to do the same for others. I’ll see you later – In the Great Outdoors!