"The People Under The Stairs"

In former days, the English gentry referred to their servants as "the people under the stairs". They were the silent, behind-the-scenes workers that kept everything at the manor running smoothly. They were meant to do their work and behave in such a manner as to be virtually invisible, unless they were called on to do yet another task or were brought in to be reprimanded because something went wrong.

Do you ever feel like you're part of the "under the stairs" group? Do you only seem to get noticed when there's a problem or when you mess something up?  Do you wish, just once in a while, that you'd get a thank you, an acknowledgement, or even a little recognition for a job well done? 

Well, here's some really great news!  The God of Creation, the Lord of the whole Earth, notices every effort, every completed task and every accomplishment. He sees your efforts, even if things don't quite turn out right, and He rewards the motivation of your heart as you do things for Him. He watches over you while you work, providing both guidance and resources. Nothing is too small or trivial for Him to notice. You can also count on the fact that nothing that you ever do for Him is wasted or done in vain because He promises results based on His abilities and your faithfulness.  He even gives you the desire to do what He asks if you want or need Him to do that! All He requires is that you give it your best effort and have the right heart when you do it. He takes care of the rest!

And there's more!  While you may think your gifts, talents, & abilities are unimportant or less meaningful than someone else's, the truth is that they are not!  The "platform" ministries & those that are more visible are dependent on the behind the scenes saints who perform the duties that free them to fulfill the call that God has given them. If you think of an army, the front line soldiers would be totally ineffective without the desk clerk who orders supplies and the truck driver who transports them. Generals are useless without the foot soldiers who carry out their orders.  It takes all of us, doing what God has gifted us to do, to make the Body of Christ run efficiently.  Jesus commended those who we might consider to be "the least" and said that in God's economy they are the greatest. He proved that by serving, rather than sitting around demanding to be served.  New Testament apostles chose deacons to perform daily ministry tasks so that they were free to teach and preach without the burden of the care-taking & hospitality jobs.  The Apostle Paul wrote several times about Body ministry, & how we all need each other.  EVERY part is important, visible or not, & critical to the proper functioning of the whole body. We might not always regard the "hidden" parts but they are severely missed when they are absent or improperly functioning!!

The bottom line is this - Whether you consider yourself a person of the "under the stairs" group or God has placed you in a position of leadership, do whatever your tasks are "as unto the Lord," knowing that He will reward you for them. Our goal, after all, is not to win the praise of men or the acclaim of the world but to hear God say "Well done, good and faithful servant."  If whatever we do results in THAT kind of recognition, we will have truly received the highest praise of all!