A few weeks ago in a sermon I quoted from Vance Havner, a Southern Baptist evangelist from the 20th century. Havner is very quotable. He is basically an evangelical Will Rodgers. He had a knack for taking novelty items and presenting Christian truths. One passage he wrote was called “The Corner Mailbox”. He uses the image of an old country mailbox which is ordinary by any standards and parallels the Christian. Havner writes, “the mailbox is important, not because of what it is in itself, but what it belongs to, and is part of, something greater than itself. It is a unit in the great postal system and although that little mailbox, unassisted could never deliver my letter to my beloved, was a part of a great movement that could. You and I are not much in ourselves, but when we get into the will of God and become part of His great purpose we assume an importance and share a responsibility infinitely beyond ourselves. This mailbox, set out in a field somewhere, disconnected from its system would be useless. It would neither receive nor transmit that stream of human communication for which it was made. Just so, many a life out of God’s will, isolated and alone, living for self and none beside can never be blessed and never be a blessing.
Suppose that mailbox complained and grumbled, “Why did they ever set me on this dirty corner? I wanted so much to be up on the boulevard, among the bright lights and the fine shops, and here I am stuck in this dark, drab spot.” But if it is in line with the postal system it can fulfill its function just the same, and the location doesn’t make an awful lot of difference. When we enter into the plan and purpose of God we assume a priceless value because of Him whose we are and Whom we serve.
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