Mordecai Ham

If I say the name "Mordecai Ham", few know who that is. But if I mention "Billy Graham"...well, that's a different story. His influence was profound. Billy Graham perhaps addressed more live audiences than any human being in history, and hundreds of millions more via mass media. He was a personal adviser to every U.S. President beginning with Harry Truman. His influence in Christian circles is unmatched in modern times. Yep, he was really important! But I'll name someone just as important: Mordecai Ham.  Who was this mystery man? He was the one who led Billy Graham to Christ! So let me pose another question. Who was more "important" in God's kingdom: Billy Graham or Mordecai Ham? Let's take it a step further: How about the person who led Ham to Christ, or the person who led him to Christ, or the person...you get the idea. How could we possibly say that one is more important than the other? Billy Graham was certainly more visible, but without Mordecai Ham, the world would not know Billy Graham!

As humans, we have definite criteria for evaluating "success"--the bigger, the better; and it's generally based on how much power, fame or money we have. Unfortunately, this bleeds over into God's kingdom, and we evaluate "success" in human terms. But is it possible that God has a different definition of "success" than we do? Here's God's one requirement for success: be faithful to the call He has placed on your life. (I Cor.4:2)

Too many of us beat ourselves up by thinking, "I'm not doing anything important!" What if Mordecai Ham had listened to that voice? This side of heaven, there's no way to know the impact you've had on the world. (Go back and watch It's a Wonderful Life again.) Maybe you spend your day driving a bus, working in a field or picking up after children. Only eternity will reveal the profound effect you've had on the world. Perhaps something as simple as an encouraging word could change someone's life. Whether you’re at work, with your family, or at the grocery store--God is powerfully working in you and through you. Each day, He brings people across your path to influence. Don't treat that lightly. One of them may be the next Billy Graham...or someone just as great, the next Mordecai Ham!