I SEE THEM

I see it all the time. . .meet them everywhere . . . in every language . . . in every culture . . . in every country. So many of God’s people are not only trying, but striving, to live a Christ-like life surrounded by a world that is anything but Christ-like. Since the coming of age of social media, anyone can have access to anything, anywhere, and anytime they want. Just like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, everyone has access to the low hanging fruit of those things which limit our lives from being an effective witness for Christ.
But there are millions of God’s people who continually make an eternal commitment to follow Christ by surrendering their personal will and desires in submission to His teachings and will for their lives. They work tirelessly, long hours, without pay, volunteering their time to make our worship experience more enjoyable. Most of the time they are unseen by all of us! They don’t complain and they don’t gripe. They don’t even try to get you to notice them, even when they’ve sacrificed so much in their life in service to God and you.

We all need each other!
Especially in the larger churches, so many believers just don’t know who makes their worship experience that much better. They never see them.

Unseen Heroes of Faith

But, I see them . . . All the time . . . everywhere.
When I walk onto the church property and the grass is cut and trimmed . . . “I see them”.
When the AC units kick on in the summer and the snow is shoveled off the sidewalks in the winter . . . “I see them”.
When the children get off the Sunday school buses . . . “I see them”.
When the pews or chairs are dusted off in the sanctuary so my clothes don’t get dirty when I sit down . . . “I see them”.
When the toilets are working and the bathroom is clean . . . “I see them”.
When the offerings are up so the church can send a team to the mission field to help others, at the expense of their family not being able to do something that they had saved their money for .      . . “I see them”.

When they take care of the orphans at their special home . . . “I see them”.
When they visit the prisons and take food to those sick and shut-in . . . “I see them”.
When they change someone’s tire, or repair someone’s home . . . “I see them”.

No, they are not on the stage speaking. They are not on the stage playing an instrument. They are not on the stage leading worship. Just by our not noticing, we say, “We can’t see them.”

How You Can See Them

You drive onto the church grounds. It is very hot outside. The parking area has trash everywhere.
You walk toward the church. The grass is thigh high. The grasshoppers, crickets and all those dive bombing mosquitos identify you as a food source and attack you; literally, sucking your blood out of you. A snake slithers across the sidewalk in front of you.
The AC doesn’t work. It’s hotter inside than out.
Church bulletins are left on the floor and seats. Some several weeks old.
The church pews and chairs are so dirty you are afraid to sit down.
You go to the bathroom to wet a cloth to cool your face. The toilets are over flowed onto the floor from diapers being flushed down them. The sinks are filthy. No one wants to use them.
And, where are all the kids? They are nowhere to be seen. The Sunday school area is eerily quiet. No laughter . . . no need to tell a child to slow down. The Sunday school teachers are no longer needed.

What? Where are all the workers?

So now we notice them . . . we notice them not because of what they do . . . but because of what they are not doing.
It takes all of us to be a successful church. We all need each other. The workers need the minister to educate and guide them closer to God . . . the worship leaders need the microphones and instruments to work . . . the members need a clean place to come and worship more comfortably . . . the whole church needs the volunteer workers to make all things “church” work in harmony with each other.

I Corinthians 12: 18-23 –

But now hath God set the members everyone of them in the body,
as it hath pleased him.
And if they were all one member, where were the body?
But now are they many members, yet but one body.
And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee:
nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.

It takes all of us to make the Kingdom of God work efficiently and effectively.

Jesus, in His ministry, needed the same things.
The boy who provided the loaves and fishes.
The men who sailed His boats.
The ones who provided crowd control.
Those who prepared Passover.
The ones who prepared meals for Him and His guests.
The families whose homes He sometimes stayed in.
Those who provided the arduous, unnoticed tasks, that helped make His access to the people easier in His daily life.

In private conversations over the years, with many “unseen heroes”, they have admitted to me having feelings of being unappreciated for their service; lonely; unrecognized; forgotten; . . . not noticed by others. These are all manifestations of the definition of grief. It is a different kind of grief than losing, in death, someone you love. But it is a type of grief. Often, with broken hearts, feeling their service to God and the church is unappreciated; they just give up and leave the church.

The good news is you have the power to help them overcome the grief they are experiencing.

Just look around you. Begin to notice the unseen heroes who make your worship service better – then take action. Recommend someone to receive our “Outstanding Christian Merit Award” that recognizes these unseen heroes.

⦁ We will send them a certificate of appreciation.
⦁ We will place their picture with their certificate and a list of what they do for Christ and His church on our International Christian blog.
⦁ We will share their ministry with thousands now, and soon with millions of believers around the world.
⦁ It is totally “FREE” to them and it is totally “FREE” to you. We have nothing to sell in order to recognize the work and service of God’s people to fellow believers.

CLICK HERE – http://overcominggrief.org/2018/10/02/outstanding-christian-merit-award-recommendation-form/. Fill out the Recommendation Form. It only takes 2-3 minutes. While you are there, sign up for our free newsletter and updates so you will know when your recommended friends service will be posted on our blog.

Thank you for taking time to minister to the needs of others.
In His service,

Lee Gilliam

Author Profile

Lee Gilliam
Lee Gilliam
Lee is the co-founding designer of Overcoming Grief and author of 2 books and numerous articles. He has been in the ministry for over 40 years. He has traveled to over 80 countries and every state in the USA. His ministerial work involves both teaching and business. He is a mentor to pastors and business leaders alike. He is currently working on his upcoming international conference schedule and we will post it when it's ready. We hope you can attend one that will be close to you!! Please contact me at: leeg@overcominggrief.org