Feeling Unimportant?
DEVOTIONS FOR GROWING CHRISTIANS
Feeling Unimportant?
Have you ever wished you were as gifted as a particular Christian speaker, singer, or musician? Or maybe you’ve longed to be more outgoing and comfortable interacting with others at church events. You’d love to contribute in a big way to a church or ministry, but you feel like you don’t have the right gifts. It can leave you feeling unimportant in the overall picture.
Here’s the good news: God doesn’t feel this way about you. The Bible teaches that all Christians are important and necessary for the proper functioning of every Christian fellowship and ministry. No one is inferior, insignificant, or unimportant to God!
Let’s look at the lives of three men in the New Testament who were not “up front” characters, but each played a very important role. Tychicus, Epaphroditus and Epaphras were on the apostle Paul’s team. They got to witness one of the most amazing teachers, preachers, and missionaries in history! Paul was a dynamic leader -- the center of attention. Anyone working with him could easily feel like an inferior player. However, the people who helped Paul played an extremely vital role in his ministry. Although their names appear briefly in Scripture, it’s clear that they were not unimportant! They were used by the Lord for special and significant service.
Tychicus
“Tychicus… is a beloved brother and faithful helper in the Lord’s work” (Ephesians 6:21)
Paul called Tychicus a “beloved brother.” He was the kind of Christian you want to have around - a good attitude, helpful, easy to love. Unfortunately, some Christians don’t fall into that category. We need more “beloved” brothers and sisters. They’re the oil in the machinery of our local churches and ministries. Would you qualify?
Tychicus was also a faithful helper. He was dependable and reliable. He could be trusted to get a job done properly. It’s no wonder Paul chose him to carry the letters to Ephesus and to Colossae (Colossians 4:7-8). What if that precious mail had been lost? Tychicus had no idea how important his job was in God's plan for completing the Scripture! Perhaps the seemingly "insignificant" things the Lord has called you to do are far more significant than you ever imagined.
In 2 Timothy 4:12 we learn that Tychicus was faithful -- right to the end. Paul wrote 2 Timothy shortly before he was martyred. By then, many believers had abandoned him (see 2 Timothy 1:15 and 4:10). Not Tychicus! This kind of reliability is needed more than ever today. It may feel like there’s more excitement everywhere other than your small local church, but the Lord needs faithful workers in big and small places, week by week, and year by year.
Ephesians 6:22 also tells us that Tychicus brought comfort and encouragement to fellow believers. Many Christians whose gifts are more publicly visible fall short when it comes to caring and comforting others. Perhaps the Lord has gifted you with the very important “behind-the-scenes” ability to comfort a grieving friend, or to encourage a struggling believer. This is an incredibly vital role, especially in today’s broken world.
Epaphroditus
Epaphroditus…is a true brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier, and he was your messenger to help me in my need. He risked his life for the work of Christ (Philippians 2:25, 30).
In Philippians 2:25-30 we learn that the church at Philippi had sent Epaphroditus to deliver a financial gift for Paul's ministry. But after arriving in Rome, he became seriously ill and almost died. Have you ever been given a big job or opportunity in Christian service and then felt a dreaded cold or flu coming on… or some other health issue that would prevent you from serving? It’s discouraging, to say the least. You may even feel like you’ve let everyone down, or that you missed your big chance!
This may have been exactly how Epaphroditus felt. He got sick, and now Paul was sending him home. How disappointing! But verses 29-30 say Epaphroditus was to be held in high regard by the believers in Philippi. He was to be given a hero's welcome when he returned home. Why? Because he risked his life for the work of Christ!
Epaphroditus wasn't attacked on the street in Rome for boldly preaching the gospel. He wasn't thrown into the arena with lions for the sake of his faith. No, he just got very sick while trying to do a job for the Lord. He might have felt like a failure, but God's Word honors him in the same way as a martyr for Jesus.
For Christians who might feel less important or overlooked, or whose service is limited in service by physical conditions, this is so encouraging! If we face setbacks in Christian service due to health or other natural limitations, God still gives great honor to our efforts.
Epaphras
“Epaphras, a member of your own fellowship and a servant of Christ Jesus… always prays earnestly for you, asking God to make you strong and perfect, fully confident that you are following the whole will of God” (Colossians 4:12).
Epaphras was not necessarily a great teacher or a great preacher, but he was a great pray-er. He “always prayed earnestly” for his fellow believers. How often do we “pray earnestly”? Yes, if there’s an emergency or serious health concern in our family, we ratchet our prayer life up earnestly. But when things are going smoothly, most of us would admit that our prayers are more relaxed and self-centered. When was the last time we earnestly prayed, in our private prayers, for the spiritual growth of other Christians we know? Earnestly praying for others requires no special education, talent, or skill, but it’s a very important role we can fill in Christian service.
Epaphras is also mentioned in Philemon 23 where Paul refers to him as "my fellow prisoner." What does that mean? When Paul wrote the four Prison Epistles (Philemon, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians), he was under house arrest in Rome. He wasn’t “behind bars,” but he was restricted to his own rented house and chained to a Roman guard, 24/7. Under these difficult conditions, Paul continued to spread the gospel, and he wrote letters while he waited for his trial before Caesar (Acts 28:30-31).
When Paul refers to Epaphras as "my fellow prisoner," it may indicate that Epaphras voluntarily submitted himself to house arrest along with Paul in order to assist the apostle. A man named Aristarchus is also described as "my fellow prisoner" in Colossians 4:10. Perhaps Epaphras and Aristarchus took different shifts to assist Paul in his ministry. In any case, it appears that Epaphras may have voluntarily given up his own freedom to serve Paul. Without his help, Paul would have been severely limited.
How often do we give up our freedom to help another Christian with his or her ministry? A “supporting role” in Christian ministry can sometimes be even more valuable than the “lead role.” Perhaps the Lord is calling on you to deny yourself to help in some way.
No Christian should ever feel insignificant or unimportant. They should never feel that they were overlooked in the area of gifts and talents. Remember 1 Corinthians 12? “Our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it… In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary (v18, 22). Every part is important! In fact, Christians who humbly fulfill their calling with the spiritual gifts they have been given are considered giants in service for Christ!
- Dave Reid
(Updated 2022, Ron Reid)