Did you ever play the video game Oregon Trail? It was one of the first role-playing video games ever. A generation of kids lost untold hours online accumulating shovels, buying pack mules, hunting wild game, and crossing wild rivers to reach the end of the trail. Misfortune was frequent, and a player rarely made it all the way to digital "Oregon".
In fact, there is a popular t-shirt with the familiar line that often marks the end of a player's game:
"YOU HAVE DIED OF DYSENTERY".
But let's imagine instead, a real trail guide leading hikers through a rugged mountain path in the Colorado high country. He is preparing them for a grand festival at the summit hosted by a celebrated figure – the destination host. The guide is the critical figure for this trip. He is setting the pace for the group. He does the orienteering, pointing out landmarks to pump up the excitement.
He encourages them with, "Look how close you are getting"! Adjusting the course according to his compass, he leads them through rocky areas they never would have attempted on their own. When stragglers start to fall back, he rallies them and reminds them of the life-changing party that awaits them at the top! To those exhausted hikers, that trail guide is their North Star. He is their lifeline.
Wait! What was that? Did they hear a little music? They keep climbing. Before long, the music is clear. Laughing. Singing. And as they round a corner, they see what they've been trying so desperately to reach – their Host, welcoming them to the most magnificent festival with open arms!
At that moment, all eyes have left the trail guide. Almost as if he had never been there. He smiles, and steps back. Quietly, he's checking supplies, he's putting out lounge chairs, he's passing the trail mix and bottles of water, chatting up the others about the host's vision for the event. The smile never leaves his face because he has found joy in the hikers' arrival and the festival's success – not in any personal acclaim or bravado. He is only interested that everyone fully experiences the party the host wanted them to attend.
"He must become greater; I must become less." John 3:30 NIV
John, like our trail guide, embraced his role without seeking the spotlight. His purpose was not acclaim or gratitude from people. His mission was a humble alignment with God's plan. And by putting himself in the background, by "becoming less", Jesus said of him, "Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." Matthew 11:11 NIV
After Jesus' arrival, John didn't perceive his work to be over. He just shifted the focus to offer what was needed next. Still baptizing, he now served to transition people to Jesus' ministry like our trail guide handing hikers to the festival host.
How do we find the humility that takes our own ego out of the picture? That is the journey. But one thing is certain: God seems to delight in humble, faithful service. We don't have to change the world. Everything we do on His behalf has intrinsic value, regardless of the scale of it.
So, when a school bus driver simply invests time getting to know a young rider, that small act has kingdom values. When a busy adult stops what they are doing to listen to an aging parent tell a story, that is a kingdom value. The way we make dinner, the way we take care of the people in our life, the way we perform our work with the focus on others – that is how we find alignment.
And avoid dysentery. (JUST KIDDING. It doesn't help with dysentery.)
by Carie Grant
