“One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, ‘There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?'” John 6:8-9
When I first became an instructional leader, I received a lot of advice about how to run a school successfully. The most valuable piece was to get to know the main office secretary, the lunchroom manager and the head custodian. These people are generally the unsung heroes of the school. They keep the most important processes moving in the right direction. They rarely receive the credit they deserve for the hard work that they do. Nevertheless, they work tirelessly behind the scenes, giving their best to the students and faculty every single day, without seeking out any accolades or praise.
Similarly, when we discuss the miraculous feeding of the five thousand, we often focus on the main points of the story (e.g. five loaves and two fish being multiplied to feed thousands with baskets of leftovers remaining). But the unsung hero of the story is the little boy who gave his lunch to the disciples so that it could be used for the miracle. He gave up his food willingly, not for fame or praise, but simply because the disciples asked him for it. We never even learn his name. This is a beautiful example of how we all should be. God gifted us each with “fish and bread,” talents and gifts that He wants us to use for His purposes. And He desires that we willingly give them back to Him through serving one another. No matter how small or insignificant you think your contribution is, God can use it to make a difference in the lives of those around you. So take time to assess what’s in your lunch pail and how you can use it for the kingdom. Then act on it. And don’t do it for commendations or recognition. Do it for God.