By David ReayThursday 24 Aug 2017LifeWords DevotionalsFaithReading Time: 0 minutes
Transcript:
Read Romans 16:12
12 Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord.
Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord. (NIV)
This verse doesn’t figure in the edited highlights of the New Testament! It seems to be one of those off-the-cuff type greetings that Paul sends to people at the conclusion of some of his letters. We know nothing of Tryphena or Tryphosa or Persis. Except that they were women who worked hard in the Lord.
So why bother with such a text? Because the vast majority of us are much like these women. We don’t hit the headlines. We do our bit without lots of recognition or acknowledgement. It is a reminder that seemingly mundane or little things do count.
I was reminded of this when speaking with a clergyman who had a great reputation as a bible scholar and teacher. When he left his church to move to another one, he was given a formal farewell. He expected to hear mostly of his outstanding bible teaching during his time at the church. Instead, he heard mostly of how people remembered pastoral visits, sensitive conversations during times of trouble, authentic friendship with church members.
Little things count. We give encouragement and even change lives by rather mundane happenings and interactions. ‘Working hard in the Lord’ might seem very matter-of-fact. But who knows what impact such work had on others? When it comes to love of God or others, there are no ‘little things’.
Blessings
David Reay