Loving the Time of Small Things

As people, I think it is in our nature to want to do big things in our lives and it only makes sense because our world is a world that seems to only recognizes big things.

As we sit in school and learn about history we are only give the “big picture” and, for the most part, we only learn of major events. We are surrounded by reports and stories of great people who are “larger than life” and have done unbelievable things. We are taught to judge success by size, big houses, big bank accounts, big reputations, big deeds, big sacrifices, and even big churches.  It is hammered into us that the “important” and “prestigious” jobs are the ones where you are doing big things everyday whether it’s saving lives as a doctor, going into space as an astronaut, or bringing entertainment to millions of people as an actor or singer. We soon realize that it is the above that get recognized and praised by “the little people”. How can we not have a “go big or go home” attitude when that idea is constantly being pushed upon us?

I admit that I believed in that lie of the world. There were somedays when I would be sitting in my cube at work thinking about when I had all these big dreams of how my life would be and I would feel like an utter failure because I was “only” an office technician. That lie even discouraged me from giving to people. Like if I found out that one of my friends desperately needed a car, I would get so discouraged because I couldn’t go out and buy them one. I would consider praying for them or giving them rides but then would think “They don’t prayer or a couple rides here and there, they need a car!” and I would end up doing nothing at all.

It’s been just recently that God has started to work this lie out of my heart.  Ephesians 1:1 starts, “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God…” Paul is recognizing that God’s will for him, at that time in his life, was to be an apostle. The very same can be said of us and where we are in our lives, such as, “Melissa, an office technician by the will of God.”  That means that no matter what I wish I could be doing, right now God has me as an office technician and I should be working, where He has willed for me to be, for His glory. I might consider my job as insignificant and the world may agree but if I am obeying God and glorifying Him in this job then God sees it and thinks it neither small nor insignificant. God may never will for me to be famous or rich but He has willed for me to know Him, obey Him, and glorify Him, that is the biggest thing ever and God doesn’t care what setting we do it in.

 Small things may also lead to big things.
 

Luke 16:10 ¹⁰ “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.”

I used to get so frustrated when I would decide that I wanted to do something big for God but it always seemed like it took forever to get past all the small things I had to do before I got to the big thing. For example, I had a desire to go to Japan on a missions trip and I just knew that when I got there people were going to be saved left and right. But, before I could get there I had to get a passport, get checked by my doctor, fill out applications, raise money, buy my plane ticket, and on and on. All those little details that needed to be “taken care of” before I could get to Japan and do something big for God. All that was just taking care of the physical things; as a Christian, there were also a lot of seemingly small spiritual things I had to do in preparation as well. 

We always seem to forget that it is the small things that make the big things possible. It is the small things that prepare us for the big things. It would be like someone deciding that they didn’t want to bother with the schooling and they were just going to start being a doctor and operating on people. Good idea?

 Do you think that Moses would have had the faith to part the Red Sea if he hadn’t spent years and years learning to have faith in the little things? 

God, thank you so much that you prepare us and that you consider great the choices, the tasks, and the heart of everyday things.

Zechariah 4:10, “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin…”