April 28th, 2023
Acts 1:23-26
23 So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. 24 Then they all prayed, “O Lord, you know every heart. Show us which of these men you have chosen 25 as an apostle to replace Judas in this ministry, for he has deserted us and gone where he belongs.” 26 Then they cast lots, and Matthias was selected to become an apostle with the other eleven.
We never really hear from Matthias again.
That is not an indictment on his character, just that he was not used by the Holy Spirit as powerfully as many of the other apostles, and certainly not in any fashion as close to how powerfully Paul was used by God.
But that does not mean that he was not a witness to the resurrection of Jesus. Not everyone who witnesses becomes famous for doing so, or for leading, or writing or preaching.
We live in a celebrity culture where we have a feeling that the more you are known, the more important you are. And this is patently untrue. While some are gifted for great influence, and are given such influence, some are destined to be incredibly important in the lives of a few, and that is no less noble, and no more important than the call to a larger influence.
Because we are so used to celebrity, we find a skewed idea of what is important. I was blessed to grow up before the internet and certainly before social media. Influence was gained by the work that one did, by the academic prowess, but what you wrote and what you did. It was not about how many followers you had, but about the work you put into those things you created that people found valuable.
In today’s culture, it is about how many people are listening, not so much about what you are saying, and there is a danger in this. How are you curating your words so that whatever influence you have makes a difference and is a benefit to someone’s life?
Was Mattias worthless to the call of God? Not at all, while we don’t know what he did, my bet is that he made a dent in the universe for the people around him. It is okay to toil for God in relative obscurity, in fact, that is a beautiful thing to do.
That is not an indictment on his character, just that he was not used by the Holy Spirit as powerfully as many of the other apostles, and certainly not in any fashion as close to how powerfully Paul was used by God.
But that does not mean that he was not a witness to the resurrection of Jesus. Not everyone who witnesses becomes famous for doing so, or for leading, or writing or preaching.
We live in a celebrity culture where we have a feeling that the more you are known, the more important you are. And this is patently untrue. While some are gifted for great influence, and are given such influence, some are destined to be incredibly important in the lives of a few, and that is no less noble, and no more important than the call to a larger influence.
Because we are so used to celebrity, we find a skewed idea of what is important. I was blessed to grow up before the internet and certainly before social media. Influence was gained by the work that one did, by the academic prowess, but what you wrote and what you did. It was not about how many followers you had, but about the work you put into those things you created that people found valuable.
In today’s culture, it is about how many people are listening, not so much about what you are saying, and there is a danger in this. How are you curating your words so that whatever influence you have makes a difference and is a benefit to someone’s life?
Was Mattias worthless to the call of God? Not at all, while we don’t know what he did, my bet is that he made a dent in the universe for the people around him. It is okay to toil for God in relative obscurity, in fact, that is a beautiful thing to do.
- Who are the “celebrity” christians that you follow or admire?
- Why?
- Who really has influence over your life?
- How can you make sure you are curating your influence in a way that is positive and a blessing to others
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2 Comments
“While some are gifted for great influence, and are given such influence, some are destined to be incredibly important in the lives of a few, and that is no less noble, and no more important than the call to a larger influence.” This quote is so powerful and needed in today’s environment of excess is superior. There are no small parts in the body of Christ
“Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.”
1 Corinthians 12:14, 22-26 NLT
Every single person has an important role to play - thanks for this today!
Ps I always wondered what happened to Justus - that would have felt so awkward to not have been picked…