On being part of the story

As I read through the Old Testament I'm fascinated with all the names, all the lives described. Most are not major players in the story, but they are an important part of the story. They are part of history. As my imagination races back to these individuals living their lives thousands of years ago I wonder if they had a thought about their part in history, in the story of God. I wonder if they knew what God was doing beyond their task for that moment, for those days. I wonder if they had a concept (and who could have imagined such a thing) of their place in the story of God.

The story I want to highlight for these thoughts is quite simple. The man I want to talk about shows up in several places, but what I want to focus on is his simple task, his main role in the story of God. Here's the portion of the story that has me thinking,

1 Chronicles 27:³² Also Jonathan, David’s uncle, was a counselor, a man of understanding, and a scribe; and Jehiel the son of Hachmoni tutored the king’s sons. ³³ Ahithophel was counselor to the king; and Hushai the Archite was the king’s friend. ³⁴ Jehoiada the son of Benaiah, and Abiathar succeeded Ahithophel; and Joab was the commander of the king’s army.

"Hushai the Archite was the king's friend." His story is in 2 Samuel and in 1 Chronicles. His role is crucial, but quite simple. His job, his claim to fame in the story of God, is that he was David's friend. Among the list of the important people in David's life Hushai stood out to me. I read the rest of his story in 2 Samuel. He is the kind of friend everyone wants. He's faithful to his friend, protecting him, helping him, serving him. Imagine meeting him on the streets of Jerusalem one afternoon. Imagine the visit with me, "Hello, my name is Mike. May I ask your name, what you do?" Hushai replies, "My name is Hushai. I'm the king's friend." I reply, "That's it? That's what you do? That's your claim to fame???" Hushai, "Yup, that's it." And with a smile he walks away.

I live in a culture where position, power, and status is important. Husahi would have looked on with disdain at our messed up priorities. His job, his role in the story of God was quite simple, he was David's friend. The things that stand out in the story of God are often quite startling to our cultural eyes. What's important to God and what he writes about in his book sometimes messes with our way of looking at the world around us.

What was important about Husahi? He was David's friend. A role he fulfilled faithfully. In our culture we would not see such a man as a success, but God did. He accomplished the task God gave him and did it well. If the only accomplishment of your life is that you were someone's friend celebrate that. God did. A life that pleases God has little to do with status, title or power. It has everything to do with being and doing what God made you for, even if it's simply to be a friend.