I’m sure there has been a time in everyone’s life where we’ve felt completely anonymous. I don’t know of anything that can hurt the heart more.
In our workplace we may come and go and never have a conversation or be acknowledged by the owner. They can walk by you for days and never make eye contact, yet expect your loyalty. We could be with a group of friends, and be excluded from idle chit-chat, and then they wonder why they’re not invited to your home. Then there’s the one friend who listens when you speak, but never hears a word because they’re thinking of what they will say next as their eyes dart around you. All of these are situations that can make anyone feel totally invisible. In an instant we are reduced to mute, and that is a tragedy. No one deserves to be treated this way, whether by mistake or intention.
Jesus doesn’t deserve this treatment either. He died for us, all of us. The very least we can do is pay attention to Him. Even we Christians can forget about Him when life is smooth. We slip into the world of, how great am I that I have a good job, money in my pocket, good health, and a few nice toys to play with. Sundays come and go, and the lure of the beach and sports on television place church and God on the back burner. All the while, Jesus is with us, every step of the way, speaking His love words in our ear. We don’t hear Him, because we’ve allowed the world to drown Him out, until we hit a wall. Then the first thing we cry out is, “why me Lord, or oh my God.”
It’s amazing how we can forget Jesus until it’s convenient, even though we know He died on a cross for us all. How tragic that we can make even Him, anonymous. He has no ego, yet I’m sure He does have a heart with feelings. Just like us, He is injured when we don’t include Him in our daily lives, yet He invites us to His house every Sunday.
He never takes us for granted, is always waiting in the wings for us to call Him, and He is the one we can all count on to erase our anonymity. Humans may fail us, but Jesus does not. He tells you every day that you are not anonymous. Just turn the volume of the world down a bit, and you will hear Him.
Mike Shindruk is with Masters Hand Ministries.
