Invisible, Man!

When I was a kid, I was fascinated by the science fiction story of the man who became invisible through a freak accident and then used that ability to fight crime and do good deeds.  I’m pretty sure I never thought about the negative implications of his powers... people running into you, never being able to make eye contact, and no one asking if they can take your order at a restaurant (unless of course you wore clothes, but then you would look pretty weird). What a bummer that would have been! 

When it comes to doing good, the Bible paints a picture of serving with humility... a willingness to “not be seen” by others.  Like the woman who gave her last two coins without fanfare or the Samaritan known simply as “Good,” if you want to be something special in God’s kingdom you need to be a servant, not aim for accolades or appreciation.  But do you really want to go completely unnoticed?  Always?!

I’ll admit that this is sometimes easy for me, and other times not so much.  There are times when I am happy to serve and help in secret when no one is around and no one sees.  And I just realized that if I were to write down some examples of when I have done that, it would sort of ruin my point!  However, there are other times when I have done something and I think I really do hope that someone notices.  Sometimes it’s something “big” when I have put in a lot of effort but it can also be something relatively small. (My guess is that you’ve felt that way sometimes, too.)

But is it always wrong to want to be noticed?  Is it possible to serve humbly and at the same time be interested in an occasional “Atta-boy?”  Evidently, Paul noticed people who served the Lord and others.  He often mentioned them by name for their labor (like Mary in Romans 16:6) and sometimes when he wasn’t sure if they had fulfilled their duties (like Archippus, to whom he sent the message: “See to it that you complete the work you have received in the Lord,” in Colossians 4:17).  Other times he flat out urged people to notice the work others did!  In 1 Thessalonians 5:12 he wrote, “Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you.”  No invisible servants there.  But if we acknowledge and thank people for their service, are we enabling pride to develop in that person?  What are we to do? 

I know that as a pastor, there are a lot of things I do that are pretty “visible” in the church. It’s tough to hide a lot of my “service.”  This may or may not surprise you, but I do receive my share of criticism.  As a rule, anonymous griping gets tossed while other comments I take seriously and I try to respond to them when it’s appropriate.  But I’ll confess that I do appreciate notes of encouragement and words of appreciation (I think most people do), especially when someone tells me that they feel as though the Lord spoke to them or helped them in some way through me.  Actually, that is a humbling experience and a moment of instant worship for me – a time when I silently (and sometimes aloud) thank the Lord.  I know that He is the One doing the work if anything good happens and I’m just given the gift of being a part of what He’s doing.  But is this sometimes just a cover?  Is there some part of me, maybe even just a little, that really just wants to be noticed?

Evidently, this was at least somewhat of a problem in the early church. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul explained that each person is important even though some essentially serve “behind the scenes” and don’t get noticed so much.  Some people must have felt badly about that. That’s why he wrote: “If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.’”  Not only did some feel like their contributions were insignificant to the point of not fitting in, their acts of service were essentially covered up and unseen.  Paul explained that those roles were “treated with special modesty” – not as evident to the casual observer but vital to the health of the body (as indispensable as an internal organ).  It’s a great passage, but Paul wouldn’t have written about it in such detail if going unnoticed didn’t bother at least some believers.  Hm-m.  So, where does that leave us?

I know I don’t have this all figured out.  It looks like scripture can be used to support both invisibility and acknowledgement of service.  But at the risk of oversimplification and cliché-ness, the heart of the matter may be a heart matter.  Motivation.  Am I serving in order to be seen and praised, or am I serving “as unto the Lord” to use my gifts and give help simply because help is needed?  I wonder.  That’s the name of a poem by Ruth Harms Calkin that has been a challenge and an inspiration to me.

I Wonder

You know, Lord, how I serve You

With great emotional fervor

In the limelight.

You know how eagerly I speak for You

At a women’s club.

You know how I effervesce when I promote

A fellowship group.

You know my genuine enthusiasm

At a Bible study.

But how would I react, I wonder

If You pointed to a basin of water

And asked me to wash the calloused feet

Of a bent and wrinkled old woman

Day after day

Month after month

In a room where nobody saw

And nobody knew.

May God help you and me to learn to serve Him and others with true humility – even when no one knows – and may He give us special x-ray eyes to see (and opportunities to thank) the invisible servants around us.