Could My Name be Written Here?
by Tom Brown
As I was finishing the book of Romans this morning, I came across 16:1-16. Sections of the Bible like this one often get skipped over, (even by myself at times, I admit), but today I felt compelled to take my time here. The verses are a list of the names of people who the Apostle Paul knew and was commending to the church at Rome. I think the reason sections like this tend to be passed by is because the names feel unrelatable to us, ‘Who are these folks?’ we ask, but there are few quick answers to be found. Nevertheless, today I found myself pondering a question as I read that I feel is worthy for each of us to ask. Before you read on take a moment to read over the text.
The people Paul has mentioned are all ordinary folks, undeserving sinners who had been saved by grace alone. They probably had regular jobs and modest homes, budding families and routine responsibilities. Yet, Paul takes the time to mention them each by name and to speak a good word about the way they are living for God. Apparently these ordinary people were not content to live an ordinary faith. They wanted more than a club to belong to on Sundays, more than encouraging social gatherings and potluck meals. In fact, it is apparent from the descriptions Paul gives that these individuals were ready to do whatever it would take to grow in their personal relationship with the living God. They wanted to know him, no matter what the cost, and they wanted to make him known, no matter how fierce the opposition. I also noticed as I was reading that Paul didn’t lump them all into one or two adjectives either, he had a unique word to speak about each of them. Some he called messengers, others faithful workers, he praised mothers and brothers, and told of some who ‘risked their necks’ to partner with him for the sake of the gospel. The question on my heart as I read these otherwise mundane verses was simply this:
"Based on the way I am living my life right now, could my name be written here?"
My aim in asking this question is simply to remind our hearts that God specializes in using ordinary and average people to display the extraordinary and matchless worth of his name. The kingdom of God is being built through the lives of redeemed mothers and fathers and daughters and sons; through the hard work of plumbers, electricians and carpenters, through school teachers and taxi drivers, etc. God takes pleasure in transforming the world by way of transformed human hearts, and he wants to use otherwise average and ordinary people like us to do it.
May we each set our course to be named among the faithful, striving to live even the seemingly insignificant moments of our everyday lives for the glory of our King.