Unsung Heroes

Matt. 25: 21 His Lord said to him, “well done good and faithful servant…”

Have you ever heard of Tensing Norkay? Perhaps not. More likely you have heard of Sir Edmund Hillary (although maybe you haven’t either). But Hillary made the news back in 1953 as the first man to climb to the peak of Mt. Everest, the highest mountain in the world. That day his name flashed all over the world; he was interviewed, talked about, and honoured in many countries.

But victory is often a team effort. There were several persons in that team and without them Hillary would never have made it to the peak. Tensing Norkay of Nepal was the guide. He travelled the same distance that Hillary did, endured the same amount of cold and hardship. He struggled up that mountainside and arrived at the peak at about the same time Hillary did. But while Hillary’s name is in every encyclopedia, Norkay is pretty much forgotten.

Throughout history there have been unsung heroes, great guys whom nobody knows about, or pay little attention to. Joshua did not march alone around the walls of Jericho, but who knows the names of the thousands of other soldiers who did? Jonathan’s armour bearer was pretty brave when the two of them fought against a whole garrison of Philistines. His name is not given in the Bible. And while Noah captained the ark to safety, his wife faithfully stood by his side through thick and thin. What was her name again? Nobody knows!

For every hero there are dozens, maybe even thousands of people who helped him or her succeed, but we don’t know them. Are they less important because they are not known or because they never win the prize? Why do they do it if they will not be recognized? Because there are other things that bring happiness apart from being the star. There is satisfaction in knowing I helped to create something beautiful, to build something strong, to make somebody better off; to make the world a better place.

Can you do your best even if someone else will get the glory? Could you be satisfied just to let somebody else shine? Are you good enough to be good just because you are good and not because others recognize you as being good? It is only then that you are really good. The great news is that God recognizes the worth of every unsung hero. One day He will say, “Well done” and He will give every man “according as his works shall be”.

Dear Lord, help me do my very best even if nobody notices, because this is the true spirit of Christ, in Jesus’ name I pray, amen.