By Gina Caswell Kelly
Do you ever think much about the “bit players” in the Bible? The characters that are mentioned once and never heard from again. There are several who come in and go out without much mention, but who make a great difference.
When King Saul was being tormented by evil spirits and was just becoming a wreck, his servant, who was not even named mentioned a young shepherd boy who could really play a mean harp and thought maybe his playing might bring comfort to the king. This seemingly insignificant servant was the one who actually brought David to the palace and got him in place to one day become one of the greatest kings in history.
What about the little boy who gave his lunch to feed the thousands? He was a pretty insignificant character at the start of his day. Just a little boy who wanted to hear Jesus. His mom packed his lunch, just enough for him. And the rest, as they say, is history! God used this insignificant boy to feed thousands and to show the power of God to the world. Just a little boy used by God.
Now this next one is really insignificant! In fact, you might even miss him if you aren’t paying attention. Joseph, whom I talked about last time, is hunting for his brothers. His brothers were tending the sheep and the goats. Joseph’s father, Jacob, told Joseph to go find them and see how they were doing. He knew kind of where they ought to be, so he headed out in that direction. Then in Genesis 37:15 it says, “Then a man found him wandering in the fields. The man asked him, “Who are you seeking?” Joseph replied, “I am looking for my brothers who are pasturing a flock near here.” And the man replied, “They have gone away. I hear them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’ So Joseph left and found his brothers at Dothan.”
Now we all know what happened when he found his brothers. They hated him and dropped him in a cistern. Then they decided to sell him to merchants passing by. He was taken as a slave to Egypt. God was watching out for him and Joseph eventually rose to a very high position and was responsible for saving the country from the drought. Joseph played a major role in preserving God’s people from whom our Savior would eventually come. All because of this small bit player in the Bible who happened to know where the brothers were!
The point of all this is to say, there are no small roles in God’s kingdom. Even if you think what you are doing is so small that no one will even notice, look back at how God used seemingly insignificant people to cause great things to happen. Never feel like what you are doing is not making a difference. God uses people like you and me all the time.
Be willing to answer when God calls. Be willing to step out and play your part, no matter how unimportant it may seem. Be willing to make a difference!
