Have you ever felt like you were meant to do more? Felt the burning desire to do “big things”? Things like missionary work, adoption, selling all your possessions and giving to the poor, or moving to the slums and shining His light?
I have, at times, encountered within myself a longing to do more. Inevitably it leads me to visions of doing one of the above, only to feel defeated when I realize that is not my life, at least not right now. I am tempted to look at my simple, ordinary life of keeping a home and raising four small children, and become disillusioned by the seemingly small things that make it up.
All the aforementioned causes like adoption and missions, are noble and worthy. I know of many who are changing lives for the better in the name of Jesus this way. My aim is not to take away from these people, but to speak to those of us whom God isn’t calling to the “big things.”
Could it be, God is calling us to the smaller, ordinary, unnoticeable things? Could it be He desires to teach and mold us in those small things? We’ve all heard the saying “bloom where you are planted” or the quote from Mother Teresa on how to promote world peace, “Go home and love your family.” How many of us have heard these sayings and internally rolled our eyes? “But that is just so…. ordinary, not… extraordinary. Surely living a life of extraordinary faith is more than wiping runny noses, folding laundry and washing dishes! When do I get to do the exciting kingdom work???”
And God says,“For who has despised the day of small things?” Zechariah 4:10a NKJV
Through the Prophet Zechariah, the Lord encourages Zerubbabel not to despise the day of small things. The Lord declared Zerubbabel would finish the work of rebuilding the destroyed temple of Jerusalem. Now, the temple had laid in ruins for nearly 20 years, but while it probably felt like many days of “small things” to Zerubbabel, the Lord vowed he would indeed finish the work of rebuilding the temple and he should not despise the days of small things in the process. Like Zerubbabel, we are not to despise the days of small things, however difficult or mundane they may seem. God invites us to live out our faith right where we are and in so doing, experience a living and active relationship with our Savior, Jesus. When we begin to think of all we “could” be doing, rather than fully embracing what is in front of us, we rob this day, this moment, of what God intends for us.
All too often we want to bypass the boring, mundane and seemingly insignificant and “Get on with it!”
But God is inviting us into His presence. He is asking us to be present this day, to be faithful this day, to look for Him in the little things.
We cannot grumble, complain and loathe where God has us today and expect Him to change our circumstances tomorrow. God is giving us opportunity after opportunity to seek Him and live out our faith daily in the seemingly insignificant. Will we wash dishes while internally complaining or will we pray? Will we be grateful for the precious little people God has entrusted us with or will we continually complain how they make life difficult? Will we answer with frustration or with love?
Every day, every moment, we have an opportunity to live a life of extraordinary faith amidst the small and ordinary. We must be faithful in the little things before God will ever give us more…
“Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” Matthew 25:21&23 ESV
Maybe that more will be this side of heaven and maybe not, but either way we must constantly seek the face of God amidst the little things throughout our day…the seemingly small and insignificant. Because holy living isn’t grandiose. It doesn’t scream or boast or clamor for attention. It is constantly and consistently fixing our eyes on Jesus. Seeing people through His eyes. Choosing to love. Choosing to serve.
It is so easy to want to do grand things for the kingdom, but perhaps the most difficult, the most profound, the most holy things are right here before us; in the thousands of little moments that add up to eternity. And until we fully embrace where God has us, content with what He has given us, He can never give us more.
Written By: Marsha Russell
