You Are Not Expendable
He determines the number of the stars;
he gives to all of them their names.
Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;
his understanding is beyond measure.
The Lord lifts up the humble;
he casts the wicked to the ground. (Ps. 147:4-6 ESV)
Do you ever feel like your life doesn’t matter, like you’re just an expendable character?
When the pandemic began in 2020, my husband and I binge-watched the Star Trek shows from the 1960s. (Beam me up, Scotty, and transport me away from reality.) In each episode, Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock would boldly go where no one had gone before. (Cue the music.) But we noticed a pattern in each episode. If a character wore a red shirt, he was destined to be zapped, vaporized, or in some manner killed off. And nobody mourned him.
It turns out die-hard Trekkies have been joking about the red shirt characters for years. You may not be a Star Trek fan, but no doubt your favorite show features minor characters who die off, and no one cares.
Sometimes I wonder if I’m an expendable character. Unimportant. Easily replaced.
After all, the earth is home to about eight billion people. I’m just a small, insignificant face in the crowd.
I know God values each individual. The same God who numbers the stars also designed the tiniest strand of my DNA. The smallness of my existence doesn’t escape his notice.
I know it, but I don’t always live like I know it. We live in a society that recognizes and rewards the rich and powerful, the celebrities and influencers. The movers and shakers are the main characters, the ones who count.
I listen to the lie that says a life well-lived comes with a string of letters behind your name, the lie that says making an impact requires a multitude of friends, fans, and followers.
Sometimes I forget that God doesn’t see things that way. Jesus gravitated toward the minor characters whose names don’t get mentioned in the credits. He pointed out their acts of love, faith, and generosity, things no one else noticed.
Consider, for example, someone the Bible calls “a sinful woman.” A prominent Pharisee named Simon invited Jesus to dinner, and this woman crashed the party. Not only was she insignificant; according to public standards, she was downright unsavory. But she washed Jesus’s feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. Then she broke open an alabaster jar of expensive perfume and anointed his feet. When Simon criticized her actions, Jesus shined a spotlight on the sinful woman, saying,
“Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” (Luke 7:47 ESV)
A second example is actually a subplot of a main story: Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue, asked Jesus to come and heal his dying daughter. An entourage, curious to see what Jesus would do, followed Jesus and his disciples to Jairus’s house. But along the way, a sick woman touched Jesus’s robe. She was just part of the rabble, an extra on the set. Her medical expenses had left her broke, and her illness made her ceremonially unclean and unable to enter the temple. If anyone was expendable, it was this woman. But Jesus looked into her soul and saw great faith.
And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” (Mark 5:34 ESV)
The third seemingly expendable character was dirt poor, so she didn’t have much to contribute to the cause of the kingdom. But one day, Jesus sat down next to the treasury and observed people putting money in the offering box. Many big contributors marched forward, but Jesus was unimpressed. He did, however, commend the poor widow who put in the equivalent of one cent:
And he called his disciples to him and said to them, ”Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” (Mark 12: 43-44 ESV)
If you ever feel like you’re too sinful, too sickly, too stuck-at-home, or too insignificant to make a difference in God’s kingdom, remember this:
- If God can keep up with the 200 sextillion stars in the universe, he certainly knows your name.
- He notices each act of love, faith, and generosity.
- In no way is God’s approval dependent on worldly accomplishments.
- There’s a special place in God’s heart for the helpless, the humble, and the red shirt characters.
Father, forgive me for the times I buy into the world’s philosophies. You are the God who created a myriad of stars, and yet you take notice of me. I am awestruck by your great power and love. You are deserving of all my praise. Amen.
Scriptures for Reflection
His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,
but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who hope in his steadfast love. (Ps. 147:10-11 ESV)
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1 Sam. 16:7 ESV)
Reach for More
If you can, go outside and gaze at the stars. Think about the vastness of the universe and about God’s great love for each individual. How might God be calling you to respond to his love for you? Write out a prayer of praise.
spends most days teaching a classroom full of lively five-and six-year-olds. She’s attracted to be fragrance of vanilla, the printed word, and all things blue and white. She delights in spending time with her husband and family, singing praises with her church choir peeps, and traveling. Her heart’s desire is to know God better and learn to trust him more. You can read more of her writing at MargaretKemp.com.
Photograph © Olia Nayda, used with permission
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