Hope Working Behind The Scenes
1 Thessalonians 1:3 — As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ.
You ever have those days when what you do just feels unnoticed? You keep showing up and serving faithfully, but you wonder if anyone would even notice if you stopped.
I thought about that the other day because of my friend Kaylee.
She just had her baby—who is just over a month old—and for now, she is home, trying to be careful.
But she loves her church and loves serving. It’s part of who she is, so staying home right now has been harder than she expected.
One Sunday, she sat in her living room, with her little one wrapped snuggly in her arms, and turned on the church livestream and enjoyed the service.
Later she told me, “I just felt so thankful for the sound guy.”
Then she grinned and said, “But not the one you normally think about. I mean the guy who runs sound for the online service.”
She said she pictured him sitting there, maybe tired, sliding those dials up and down, keeping everything running.
“He probably has no idea,” she said, “but what he is doing matters so much to me right now.”
And honestly, I love that story. Because that’s probably one of the most thankless jobs on the planet. But here’s the thing: Kaylee is our pastor’s daughter, and she’d been having a tough time. That sound guy (whoever he is) was the reason she could worship at home with her newborn.
It reminds me that nothing we do for the Lord is ever wasted.
Maybe that’s what Paul was talking about in 1 Thessalonians 1:3 when he wrote about our work of faith, labor of love, and steadfastness of hope in Jesus. He knew the small, faithful things done quietly and consistently are what hold the family of faith together.
So, if what you’re doing feels small or unnoticed, remember Kaylee’s sound guy. He was just doing his job, but that ordinary act reached right into her living room and reminded her she still belonged to the body of Christ.
If you are faithfully serving in the shadows, wondering if it makes a difference, just know this. You don’t know when the little things you do are actually a lifeline for someone you’re serving. It matters, and you are making an eternal impact.
Someone, somewhere, might be thanking God for what you do.
And that is anything but small.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
- When have you felt unseen or unnoticed in your service to others? How might God be working through you even when no one else sees?
- Who has quietly impacted your life in a meaningful way? How can you thank or encourage them this week?
- What “small” act of faithfulness can you offer God today, trusting that He can use it in ways you may never know?
