No one had leadership titles but still served faithfully. Do you?

We’ve written posts before on serving in the church and why it matters. (check it out if you haven’t seen it)

Today I want to draw your attention to specifically Romans 16. In this final chapter of this monumental book of the Bible, Paul lists fellow Christians by name who have been impactful in spreading the Gospel. Look at the ways he describes these people: 

Give my greetings to Prisca and Aquila, my coworkers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life. Not only do I thank them, but so do all the Gentile churches. Greet also the church that meets in their home. Greet my dear friend Epaenetus, who is the first convert to Christ from Asia. Greet Mary, who has worked very hard for you. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews and fellow prisoners. They are noteworthy in the eyes of the apostles, and they were also in Christ before me. Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord.  Greet Urbanus, our coworker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys. Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus. Greet Herodion, my fellow Jew. Greet those who belong to the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord. Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, who have worked hard in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis, who has worked very hard in the Lord. Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother—and mine. Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers and sisters who are with them. Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. Romans 16:3-15 CSB

He describes them in the following ways: My coworkers in Christ Jesus who risked their own necks for my life. Dear friend, the first convert in Asia. Hard worker. Noteworthy in the eyes of the apostles. Approved in Christ. Worked very hard in the Lord. Chosen in the Lord. 

While I would struggle to say all of these names 5 times in a row, it is beautiful how God chose each one to have an impact on Paul’s journey, and ultimately on the spreading of the Gospel and the early church. They didn’t all have the same backgrounds. They weren’t all Jews, but were a mixture of Jew and Greek. Notice when Paul speaks of Andronicus and Junia. He says they are noteworthy in the eyes of the apostles, so it would be reasonable to conclude they themselves are not apostles, even though it appears they believed in Jesus before Paul did. 

Take a moment to consider what a Pauline letter to your local church would look like? What about the American church at large? Would there be commendations or condemnations? Would the nobodys who serve faithfully in the nursery with the littles be mentioned? Or only the Senior Pastor or proud deacons have their name in the letter? More importantly, would you read the letter hoping for a chance to see your name mentioned? And then would you be discouraged if your name wasn’t listed? Or would your attention be spent more on being grateful for the work being done in the church and grateful for those who are sacrificial with their time, money, and talents to serve? When I read passages like this one in Romans 16, I like to pause and contemplate such questions. Taking time to self-reflect on our own context, our own local church, our own hearts allows God to speak to us and reveal our true motives. As we know from elsewhere in Scripture, our actions and words are reflective of our hearts.

One thing I don’t see Paul say is “Greet my dear friend Persis, who has done his time in children’s ministry already.” or “Greet Rufus, who arrives late and leaves early to avoid both fellowship and being asked to help serve next Sunday.” Surprisingly, we also don’t see Paul say “Greet Mary, who is a self-proclaimed amazing leader in the church and loved by all who don’t confront her on her pride issue.” Maybe you’re thinking “DeeDee, these are kind of harsh, don’t you think?” And you’d be right. They are harsh comments. But if we aren’t serving with the right intentions, or not willing to serve our church at all, then are we truly following God? I’ve been guilty of making up excuses not to serve, and some “excuses” are legitimate reasons. Work and family obligations that leave us too busy to do any “extra” things at church- that is totally a legit response. But I would also suggest you take time in prayer to be sure that your priorities are where God wants them to be. 

Where do you stand? Are you willing to sacrifice your time? Your energy? Your talents? To serve in the church. Or would you rather only serve if there is glory and appreciation attributed to your name? Are you only willing to serve if it is convenient for you? If it doesn’t require any sacrifices? 

Today’s post is short and very self-reflective. I would encourage you to simply read the Scripture mentioned from Romans 16. Read it several times. Ask God to reveal to you insight on how you are currently serving in your local church and in what ways it needs to change. Don’t forget to ask God for wisdom in discerning your motivations for serving. If we are serving with improper motivations (like for self-glory), I would be tempted to say we have no business serving at all until we can get our hearts right with God. 

God has gifted every single one of us different abilities, interests, and talents to use for His glory. We may not get the recognition or honor by using these talents in the church, but the one thing that matters is that God is given all the glory and honor He is due, through our service, time, energy, words, and actions.