Don’t Forget Me
He never stops thanking me for helping him stay connected to God
Reference: “But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison.” Genesis 40:14 NIV
Explore: When I headed up the children’s ministry in a previous church, I worked hard to engage with a young guy called Ben. He didn’t have anyone his age at church and as he was heading into high school I could see he would easily drift away from church.
We started a junior leader program and Ben was our star example. He committed to the new position, turned up every week and did a great job assisting the team.
Like most teenagers, his high school years had their challenges, but Ben stayed faithful to his leadership role and later confessed it was the only thing that kept him connected to church.
Years later I’ve moved away from children’s ministry and from this church, but I will often bump into Ben at parties or through mutual friends. He never stops thanking me for helping him stay connected to God through those challenging years.
He’s now working at the church and training to do ministry and many people have fed into his life. But he is always very gracious in remembering the time and effort I put into him as a young boy.
Application: It’s nice to be remembered and appreciated. We don’t always act in order to receive praise, but it’s lovely when our commitment is acknowledged.
Joseph worked tirelessly in leadership, no matter where he was. Whether he was beside a powerful leader or next to the greatest criminal, Joseph did great work.
There were times he was thought of and raised to places of leadership, but there were also times when his hard work was forgotten. This didn’t change his resolve.
While I find Ben so appreciative of my commitment to him in his younger years, there were other young people I worked with in my ministry. Not all of them appreciate the dedication I gave, but that doesn’t mean that the time was wasted.
All we can do is continue to serve God with love and integrity and pray our work turns people to Him.
Prayer: Lord, thank You for bringing special people into our lives, those who connect well to our calling and respond to our delivery of Your word. May we appreciate those who care for us and in turn strive to care well for others. Amen.
Who has contributed to your life? Maybe it’s time to show your appreciation.
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.