The Greatness of Playing Second Fiddle

by Ronald “Dee” Vaughan

I wish I could quote scripture as well as I quote scenes from The Andy Griffith Show. If Jesus had called Barney Fife as one of his disciples, I may have revisited his episodes more frequently. I’ve watched and loved that show as long as I can remember. There was an almost magical chemistry at work among those characters. Not long ago, I saw a recording of an interview with Andy Griffith in which he shared what he believed was the secret of his show’s success.

Andy approached the first season of his show with serious doubts about whether it would succeed. He thought his role of a small-town sheriff who also served as Justice of the Peace and, originally, the editor of the local newspaper, who paused to share funny stories about the people of his town, would be amusing for about two weeks. Then, he received a phone call from Don Knotts. Don had seen the pilot, an episode of the Danny Thomas show that introduced the audience to Sheriff Andy Taylor, and called Andy Griffith to ask if he would consider taking him on as a deputy. Andy referred Don to producer Sheldon Leonard who knew Andy and Don had worked well together on some other projects, saw the potential for comedic teamwork, and cast Don in the part. Andy says that during the filming of the first few episodes, he realized how he could make this new show work and work well. He needed to get out of the way, comedically speaking, and let Don Knotts be funny. He intentionally gave up his spot as the comedic center of the show and became the straight man to Don and all the other hilarious citizens of Mayberry. His greatest contribution to the success of the show was choosing to play second fiddle.

In some moments of our ministry journey, the best contribution we can make to God’s kingdom is to step back and allow the gifts of others to shine. That happened in the early days of the church. Barnabas, a well-established and much-admired church leader was introduced to a newcomer, a recent convert with a complicated past named Saul. He chose to trust Saul and vouched for him among church leaders. Then, Barnabas took him on as a member of his cast, so to speak, a growing leader who he believed would help the gospel grow. Until about the middle of Acts 13, when their names appeared together in the story of the early church, they were listed as “Barnabas and Saul.” You might say Barnabas was the sheriff and Saul the deputy.

But something happens in chapter 13. Saul is now known by his Roman name, Paul. (Aren’t you glad he didn’t choose, “The Apostle, formerly known as Saul?”) And, from that point forward in the Acts story, Paul’s gifts shine brighter. His name is listed first, “Paul and Barnabas.” In a sense, Paul is now the sheriff and Barnabas the deputy. I don’t want to read too much between the lines of scripture, but I think I know what happened. Barnabas saw the greatest contribution he could make to God’s kingdom in that moment was to back off and let Paul’s gifts shine. I think Barnabas knew the greatness that comes from playing second fiddle.

Some of you have answered the call to play a second fiddle part in a church’s ministry team. The word “Associate” or “Assistant” or “Coordinator” or “Director” may be attached to your job title. You can play that part resentfully, feeling somehow diminished by your role, waiting for your turn to shine, believing you could play the lead better if given the chance. That attitude can make your ministry feel more like serving a prison sentence than serving our Lord. There is a better way. You can play your part intentionally, supportively, even joyfully, daring to believe your best contribution to the kingdom in this season of service may be to step back and work behind the scenes to create a space in which the gifts of others shine brightly. It worked for Andy. Barnabas, too. Jesus says the greatest people know how to serve. If it’s the part you’re called to play, may you discover and celebrate the greatness of playing second fiddle.