From The Pastor’s Pen – By Brian Horrobin
There is a term used in the theatre business that is a common question posed just prior to the start of a performance.
That question is, “How’s the house?”
Just before a show starts actors want to know what the attendance looks like.
Whether we want to admit it or not, the size of the crowd often makes a difference.
A packed house for a sold-out performance brings energy and sends the signal to those on stage that their hard work is worth it and justifies all the preparation that went in beforehand.
But what about those times when empty seats outnumber those with people in them?
Does an actor decide their best effort isn’t worth it on those nights for the seeming few who bothered to come?
Back in September of 1995 I was attending a special pastors’ luncheon event with my wife in Windsor, Ontario.
We enjoyed a superb lunch with about six other couples, after which the invited guest got up and shared a message.
After the message couples were invited to come forward for prayer.
Ruth, my wife, was two weeks away from delivering our daughter, Beth, and the speaker prayed specifically for the birth and health of the child, as well as declaring this child would be full of joy.
The speaker’s name was Joyce Meyer, a well-known author and television host.
Joyce is used to speaking to several thousand people at a time in her meetings and to an even greater audience on television and radio.
Nevertheless, here she was ministering to this small gathering of local pastors as if we were celebrities.
I appreciated that very much.
The Bible says this in Colossians 3:23: “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.”
Joyce Meyer definitely did that for us that day and it was a lesson I learned.
Oh, and guess what?
Our daughter Beth is without a doubt the biggest practical joker in the family, so full of joy.
Am I ever glad that Joyce Meyer just obeyed God that day and didn’t worry about ministering to a full house.
