Think Small

The age old adage goes "Think BIG," but the reality is that every one of us needs to think small before we can think BIG.

I love what Mark Batterson has said, "We often overestimate what we can do in the next two years, but we underestimate what we can do in ten years."

Zechariah encourages us all, "Do not despise these small beginnings." (Zech. 4:10)

And Jesus pipes along with him, teaching "You have been faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things." (Matthew 25:23).

Yes, we all want to do great things - some of us for the wrong reasons such as fame, fortune and power.  Still others of us have a burning heart for the Lord, and can proclaim along with the Apostle Paul about the "energy of Christ which works so powerfully within me" (Colossians 1:29) "woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel," (1 Cor. 9:16) and with Jeremiah "his Word is in my heart and burns like a flame.  I am weary of holding it in, indeed I cannot!" (Jeremiah 20:9). 

So much passion, but we must be willing to be the servant of all as well (Matthew 20:26), we must be willing to work for our daily bread (2 Thess. 3:10) and even make tents if we need to (Acts 18:3).  I love the story of Brother Lawrence in his spiritual classic The Practice of the Presence of God.  He realized that he could encounter the same strong Presence of God when he was washing the dishes as when he was in his prayer closet.  This strong delight in God followed him in the most miniscule of tasks.  He had learned to think small, and thus God considered him great.