For Such a Time as This

Posted by Lorren on April 28, 2011

As some of you know, I’m a big fan of Survivor. I have maintained a Squidoo page for every season since Tocantins, and write weekly recaps of the show and post them on Associated Content. There has been one storyline this season that I have been especially interested in with Survivor Redemption Island: that of Matt Elrod.

There have been several Christian Survivors in the past. A couple Survivors have brought Bibles as their luxury items (and in the early seasons all were allowed to have their luxury items), on Survivor China, a Christian radio host refused to take part in a ceremony that resembled worshipping Buddha, and a few others have prayed or given credit to the Lord while playing the game. It seems as if in most (but not all) seasons, CBS picks one “token Christian”. Out of all the openly Christian contestants that CBS has chosen, Matt has been the best witness for Christianity yet.

He hasn’t had an easy time in the game. He was the second contestant voted out, primarily because he was too nice. When he was returned to the tribe after the merge, he was immediately voted out again (because he didn’t want to betray his tribe). In challenge after challenge, Matt has prevailed. While he finds it difficult to go on, he finds strength in the Lord.

We sometimes wonder why we have to go through difficult times. Sometimes we’ll never know the full impact of what we do, but we do know that one soul is worth all the trouble that this little life can throw at us. In Matt’s case, we already know that his faithfulness has prompted Julie to go back to church. Who knows how many other countless people he has reached?

I was inspired by a man named George Müller, who was born in 1805. He is well-known for running an orphanage and praying for all of his support, but that is not the thing about him that impacted me the most. What inspired me was a prayer list that he made for his unsaved friends. He prayed for five friends every day until they were saved. He prayed for 18 months before the first person was saved. He prayed for one person on his list for 55 years, and died before he was saved. His friend did get saved though.

I, unfortunately, have seemed to go overboard. I ended up choosing six lines of people to pray for. I wrote their names down on an index card a few years ago. I don’t know where the card is any more, but I quickly remembered who went on what line. A couple people on my list died, but then I ended up adding people too. My little boy, who was on the list, was saved a couple of weeks ago.

Who knows if Matt’s appearance on Survivor will be the answer to someone’s prayer? I don’t know if any of my friends watch Survivor, but some peoples’ friends do.

Matt Elrod was called to Survivor for such a time as this. He had to go through a struggle so that other people could see true faith. You may not be on a television show, but you also may be called to do something for such a time as this. It may be something as simple as being honest when others are lying. It may involve doing the right thing when the good thing to do is scary and difficult. It may even involve dying for the Lord. Whatever we are called to do, we must pray for the strength to stand strong. God strengthened Matt, he has strengthened millions of Christians before him, and he has the power to strengthen you as well.