Vol. 11 No.8 – April, 2013

HOW DO THEY DO THAT?

Greg Gwin

Every congregation has them. You know who they are. They’re the ones who simply never miss an assembly. But more than this, they’re the ones who are always ‘johnny-on-the-spot’ when something needs done or someone needs help. These folks are the ‘backbone’ of the local church, and they are the ones primarily responsible for accomplishing the essential work of the congregation.

You’ve seen them when you know they’re feeling just awful; when their jobs and various responsibilities have them completely ‘covered up’; when they could easily be overwhelmed by personal grief or pain; when circumstances have them totally ‘swamped’; but they still manage to make time for the Lord. They push through their illness, they ‘keep on keeping on’ when many others would have given in and given up. And you wonder: How do they do it?

While the kind of individuals we’re describing here each have their own unique characteristics, it is clear that they all share this in common: their love and devotion for the Lord supersedes everything else in their lives. He is more important to them than their jobs, their families, or their hobbies. For them, minor aches and pains pale in comparison to the joy of doing His will. He is quite simply THE most important thing in their lives. And, they show it by how they live and what they do. For them it’s not mere ‘lip service’.  It’s the real thing – heartfelt, devoted service to their Lord and Master.

One sister in her nineties who impressed everyone in the congregation with her faithfulness explained in these plain terms: “If I can get up, get dressed, and get to the doctor – and I’ve been doing a lot of that these days – then I can also get up, get dressed, and get to church services.” Now, THAT’S what we’re talking about.  THAT’S how it get done!

We’re thankful for all our brothers and sisters who set such wonderful examples for the rest of us. May their tribe increase!