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Five Mere Christians

Sign-up for my free 20-day devotional, The Word Before Work Foundations, at http://TWBWFoundations.com -- Series: Five Mere Christians Devotional: 1 of 5 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. (Luke 5:16) Today we’re kicking off a new series where I’ll introduce you to five “mere Christians” who show us what it looks like practically to glorify God via seemingly “secular” work. First up? Fred Rogers. At the height of his fame, Rogers received a letter from Kathy Usher about her daughter, Beth, who had a rare brain disease that caused hundreds of seizures a day. The only thing that made them stop? Watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Before a critical surgery, Kathy wrote to Rogers asking for a signed picture to comfort Beth. But Rogers did one better. He called Beth that night and for nearly an hour, Beth talked to Mr. Rogers about everything from her fear of dying to her longing for friends. But just wait—this story gets crazier. During surgery, Beth slipped into a coma. And Rogers called every single day for two weeks to check on her. After one call, Rogers dialed Beth’s surgeon, Dr. Ben Carson, and asked if he could visit Beth in person. Of course, Dr. Carson and the family agreed. And Rogers flew out the very next day to pray for Beth and perform a private puppet show at her bedside. A few weeks later, she woke up. Reading this story in a Starbucks, tears streamed down my face as I thought, Who does that? The answer: Someone so filled with God’s love that they can’t help but pour it out on others. Fred Rogers accomplished more than most people ever dream while also spending more time with his heavenly Father than most people ever dare. As one of his friends put it, Fred “fiercely guarded his time of quiet and reflection.” And in this, he reflected his Savior who “often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16). This points to an important principle: We mere Christians glorify God by making time to experience God’s love so that we can extend God’s love to those we work with. To that end, let me challenge you to put a physical object in your workplace to remind you of the love God has for you. I did this months ago by hanging a replica of a sign that hung in Rogers’s office for decades. It’s a Hebrew printing of Song of Solomon 2:16 which says, “My beloved is mine and I am his.” Do whatever you need to remind yourself of God’s love for you so that you can’t help but extend his love to those you work with today. P.S. This is only one of many extraordinary stories from the life and work of Fred Rogers. Check out my new book, Five Mere Christians, to discover little-known stories about this well-known TV host, including: The time a nonverbal 12-year-old boy with autism uttered his first words upon meeting Mister Rogers How Rogers threw away his dream show twice with no real plan for what was next Why Rogers was trying to send a “subliminal message” with the tie he wore on the show—and was ultimately buried in At the end of the Fred Rogers story—and each of the other four biographies included in the book—I also offer practical takeaways you can apply in your own work to glorify God right where you are.