"We Cut The Coal"

Read: Romans 16:1-16

I commend to you Phoebe ...; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also. --- Romans 16:1-2

The Bible In One Year:
Psalms 74-76
Romans 9:16-33

Winston Churchill knew that people who work behind the scenes don't always get the credit they deserve. During World War II, many of England's coal miners wanted to enlish and fight on the front lines. Churchill acknowledged their patriotism but reminded them of how valuable their work was to the cause of the war. "Some must stay in the pits," he said, "and others must stay in the army. Both are equally needed, and for both there is equal credit."

Looking ahead to when children would ask their parents what they did in the war, Churchill said, "One will say, 'I was a fighter pilot'; another will say, 'I was in the submarine service'; ... and you in your own turn will say with equal pride and with equal right, 'We cut the coal.'"

Paul too recognized the vital importance of those who worked behind the scenes. Much of Romans 16 is dedicated to honoring some of his fellow workers in the faith --- people such as Phoebe, Andronicus, and Urbanus --- whom we would otherwise never know about. Their service was valuable to Paul and to the cause of reaching people for Christ.

Your labor for the Lord may be unseen and unheralded, but it is essential. Continue to "cut the coal." You are valuable to the Lord. --- Dave Egner

Use now what God has given you,
Count not its worth as small;
God does not ask of you great things,
Just faithfulness --- that's all! --- Bosch

YOUR LITTLE IS A LOT WHEN YOU GIVE YOUR ALL.