“Do you know the story of Nymphas?”

When my Facebook friend and former Florida College classmate, Debbie Van Hendrix, asked that question recently, I had to admit something: I didn’t remember.

I couldn’t recall who Nymphas was, what she did, or even where in the Bible this person was mentioned.

Debbie began her post by saying, “Most people have never heard of Nymphas.”

She was right.

Here’s the story of Nymphas.

There are no recorded miracles. No famous sermons. No dramatic moments that made headlines.

Yet one verse tells us something beautiful:

“Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nymphas and the church in her house.” (Colossians 4:15)

Nymphas opened her home for the people of God.

What many would consider ordinary, God considered worthy of being recorded in Scripture.

A home became a gathering place for the church. A household became a place of worship and fellowship. A simple act of hospitality became part of God’s story.

This reminds us that not every calling looks the same.

Some are called to preach. Some are called to lead. Some are called to sing. Some are called to teach. And some are called to create spaces where people can encounter God.

Never underestimate what God can do through what you already have.

A home. A table. A conversation. An open door.

The Kingdom is often built through people who quietly make room for others.

Nymphas may only be mentioned once, but that one mention tells a powerful story:

A life does not have to be loud to be significant.

Sometimes all God is looking for is a willing heart that says, “Lord, what You have given me is available for Your purpose.”

Interestingly, even the identity of Nymphas is uncertain. Some translations identify Nymphas as a man, while others identify her as a woman. Ancient manuscript differences have led to this variation.

But regardless of the name’s gender, the lesson remains the same: God remembers faithful servants.

Unheralded and unknown by almost the entire world—even by some like me who preach—Nymphas and Debbie, through her post, provide a gentle reminder that there is room in the Kingdom for the small things we can do.

In fact, those “small things” are often the very things God uses to accomplish His greatest purposes.

Through the years, I’ve known many sisters who faithfully serve, whether as single women, widows, or despite having a husband who is an unbeliever. With open hearts, open homes, and even open pockets, they quietly serve the Lord, their church family, and their fellow man.

Likewise, I’ve known many men who were not “public persons.” They were quiet. Unpretentious. Often unnoticed.  But their work was behind the scenes.  They gave. They served. They encouraged. They did good whenever opportunity and ability came together (Galatians 6:10).

The writer of Hebrews reminds us: “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him…” (Hebrews 6:10)

What a comforting thought.

If you are a Christian today, it’s because of a family member, friend, neighbor, or preacher who taught you the gospel.  But who taught them?  And who taught those who taught them?

What about the congregation where you worship? Who helped begin that work? Who sacrificed, served, and gave so others could hear the gospel? No doubt, many of those Christians have long been forgotten by the world.

But their names are known to God.

The Kingdom of God has always advanced because ordinary people made themselves available to an extraordinary God.

Most of their names are unknown to us. Their stories are untold. Their sacrifices went unnoticed.

But not by God.

The same Lord who remembered Nymphas remembers every faithful servant who opens a home, offers encouragement, gives generously, teaches a child, visits the lonely, or simply does good whenever an opportunity arises.

Don’t worry about accolades or applause in the Kingdom. Just do what you can, whether it is recognized or not.  Be faithful. Be available. Be willing.

And remember: “the Lord knows those who are his.” (2 Timothy 2:19)

—Ken Weliever, The Preacherman