This devotional is really revolutionary for me, something that has paralyzed me deeply for years. But this helpful observation came to mind today. "Who is the John Owen, Martin Luther, John Gill, Thomas Boston among Christian Auto Mechanics?" The answer? We don't know. The point. We don't have to know.
A self-employed Christian Mechanic may repair over 300 cars a year. That is 300 lives and homes helped. In theory it may be 300 pastors, missionaries, elders, deacons, widows, and blessings for explicit gospel needs or otherwise implicit gospel needs. The Christian mechanic does not look back and think, "but the other mechanics are getting more books written and sold, more initivations to preach, hold conference, and serve as professor; they have 10 locations and 3000 attendees compared to my small 300; everyone knows their brand name, but not mine, woe is me, what is the point."
This can parallel into every occupation that Christians partake. The lowly nurse with 300 patients a year, the mother with 5 kids, the brick mason, the janitor, the truck driver, the chicken farmer, the widget maker. A nurse may bless her patients, but is still anonymous among the pool of a million Christian nurses. A mother may raise a pastor, elder, deacon, author, missionary, but is still anonymous among other Christian mothers.
The brick mason may build church plant facilities, hospitals, and seminaries, but is also anonymous among other Christian brickmasons. How would baptists survive without Chickens to eat, and yet the chicken farmer does not compare himself with other famous Chicken farmers. The truck driver ships books, pews, and supplies for congregations to worship and minister, but is still unknown in his labors.
Do I admire William Carey? Sure, but there are countless servants also sacrificing and laboring in secret who will never be known this side of Glory. Do I admire James White? Sure, but let us name all the unknown pastors and professors and authors and friends that shaped in during his formative years. Monergism.com is a great website, yet they did not author 90% of what they provide.
In conclusion,
#1 It is wrong to divide the "sacred" from the "secular",
#2 Because all labors are to be sacred and offered unto Christ.
#3 All Christian labors are made unto Christ, not in comparison to the publicity of other Christian labors.
#4 All Christian labors find their value and significance by the grace of Christ directing them to the glory of Christ in that labor, not by the attention of men giving attention to the servants.
Think about these things.