The Ministry of the Unnoticed

Taken from My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers

August 21, 2009

"Blessed are the poor in spirit..." - Matthew 5:3

The New Testament notices things that do not seem worthy of notice
by our standards. "Blessed are the poor in spirit . . . ." This
literally means, "Blessed are the paupers." Paupers are remarkably
commonplace! The preaching of today tends to point out a person’s
strength of will or the beauty of his character— things that are easily
noticed. The statement we so often hear, "Make a decision for Jesus
Christ," places the emphasis on something our Lord never trusted. He
never asks us to decide for Him, but to yield to Him— something very
different. At the foundation of Jesus Christ’s kingdom is the genuine
loveliness of those who are commonplace. I am truly blessed in my
poverty. If I have no strength of will and a nature without worth or
excellence, then Jesus says to me, "Blessed are you, because it is
through your poverty that you can enter My kingdom." I cannot enter His
kingdom by virtue of my goodness— I can only enter it as an absolute
pauper.

The true character of the loveliness that speaks for God
is always unnoticed by the one possessing that quality. Conscious
influence is prideful and unchristian. If I wonder if I am being of any
use to God, I instantly lose the beauty and the freshness of the touch
of the Lord. "He who believes in Me . . . out of his heart will flow
rivers of living water" ( John 7:38 ). And if I examine the outflow, I lose the touch of the Lord.

Who
are the people who have influenced us most? Certainly not the ones who
thought they did, but those who did not have even the slightest idea
that they were influencing us. In the Christian life, godly influence
is never conscious of itself. If we are conscious of our influence, it
ceases to have the genuine loveliness which is characteristic of the
touch of Jesus. We always know when Jesus is at work because He
produces in the commonplace something that is inspiring.