Have you ever felt like a Nobody?
The story is told about four people who were all members of the same church, Ernie Everybody, Sam Somebody, Peter Anybody and Joe Nobody.
One day, there was an important job to be done at the church and the pastor asked Mr. Everybody to do it. Everybody was sure Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it… but guess who did it?
Nobody.
In fact, Nobody was the most faithful of them all.
Nobody came to Bible Study, Nobody gave in the offering, Nobody visited the sick, and Nobody encouraged the pastor.
Then, one Sunday, a visitor came to the church and got saved!
The Pastor asked Everybody to follow up with them.
Everybody got angry because he felt it was Somebody’s job. Somebody thought Anybody would do it. So, guess who visited the new convert?
You’re right, Nobody did.
It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done. Does that story sound familiar?
Similar scenarios happen almost every day.
God asks us to do something for someone else yet we make excuses why we can’t. Or we pass it off for somebody else to do and in the end, nobody does it and we live in disobedience to God.
One day, some chief priests and elders came against Jesus to try and trap Him. They were some of those who acted like they loved God but refused to obey Him.
Jesus knew what was in their hearts so He told them a story found in Matthew 21:28-30.
“A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, ‘Son, go work today in my vineyard.’
“The son answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he repented, and went.
“The father then came to the second son, and said ‘Son, go work today in my vineyard.’ And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir.’ But he did not go.”
The point of Jesus’ story was to show how one son proved better than he promised…while the other son promised better than he proved.
In verses 31-32, Jesus asked the chief priests and elders: “Which of the two sons did the will of his father?”
They said unto him, “The first son.”
Then Jesus said unto them, “Truly I say unto you, that the tax collectors and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you do. For John (the Baptist) came to you in the way of righteousness, and you believed him not: but the tax collectors and the harlots believed him.”
You see, the chief priests and elders were like the second son in the story—they promised better than they proved. They had promised to love God but their hearts were far from Him because they were trying to trap Jesus, God’s Son!
They were like Mr. Everybody in the first story who got mad and blamed somebody else for what they should have been doing.
Now perhaps you identify more with Mr. Nobody in the first story—you’re faithful to God, you’re always looking for ways to help others and you don’t care if anyone recognizes your accomplishments or not.
That’s the best way to be!
In fact, Casting Crowns recently released a song entitled “Nobody” and the chorus says: “I’m just a nobody trying to tell everybody
All about Somebody who saved my soul.
Ever since You rescued me, and gave my heart a song to sing, I’m living for the world to see nobody but Jesus.”
And all the Nobody’s in the house said: “Amen!”

Rev. Doug Johnson is the senior pastor at Raven Assembly of God in Raven, Virginia.