There is a Lot Found in a Little - Blog # 41

Opening Prayer: Lord, We thank You for being so consistent with us. You are always good. You are always kind. You are always just. You are always compassionate. You are always love. You are always God. Lord, in a world of chaos and unknown: we pray that our hearts would not look for stability in people or places or positions of power or even paper. Lord, would we look to You, our Rock, for consistent help, comfort, and wisdom. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen

Little Doesn’t Stay That Way

I realized something about myself, not so recently, but the Lord has brought it to attention. There is power in consistency. Little moments matter in this world and in the Kingdom of God. The Word reads: "What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches" (Luke 13:18–19). This contrasts a common idea: all or nothing mentality. We either must complete something to its fullest, no grace or space for mistakes, or not at all. It cripples me when I fall into an all or nothing mentality. All or nothing mentality is pervasively common: I’ve broken my diet, and I might as well eat everything I like. I’ll start again tomorrow. I went over my budget for this week, so I’ll stop living within it. I didn’t study all day, and it’s already ____ PM. I don’t think 2 hours will help. We already had sex or did XYZ, why don’t we continue since we’ve already crossed that line?

NOTE: I want to just clarify that sex is a good thing. God made sex. I want to derail purity culture which is basically "Don't have sex. It's bad." Sex is a beautiful GIFT from God in the context of the covenantal marriage between a man and a woman. Not because God is a prude. Why would the inventor hate his invention? God just has a specific intention and design so that you and I don't have to deal with the consequences (babies without two committed parents, STDs, abortions, broken hearts, feeling used)! God LOVES you that's why He wants you to WAIT to have sex before marriage and until then (or if then) submitting your sexual desires to Him and please consider sharing with same gender community for support/accountability.

There is an all or nothing that comes in the form of perfection though. You are either perfect or you're not: and the truth is I'm not perfect. No one is perfect. So, we either decide that we'll never be perfect so we shouldn't try or that Jesus is perfect and through Him we are being perfected.

Perfect becomes a progressing journey called sanctification where Jesus makes you more like Himself.

Why does this happen?

For me at least, I think it comes out of this misunderstanding that little means nothing. Saving a dollar a day feels stupid. Studying for 30 minutes after spending the whole day doing nothing feels pointless. Working out for 10 minutes a day won’t give me abs anytime soon. A salad won’t fix the cake, soda, and three slices of pizza I just ate.

There is value in being faithful every moment. There is value in tithing every paycheck.

There is value in obeying in the 'little things'.

It is not all or nothing. It is not only if we reach the intended goal that our effort is counted.

I don’t see the value in little, but God’s truth says otherwise. From a mustard seed comes a great tree, a tree so big it becomes a resource for other living beings. to The little right now becomes a lot in the hands of Jesus. Proof: John 6:1-14

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Festival was near. When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

Your Problems are Jesus’ Problems

A lot of times we bear burdens alone. We can’t help it. Who can take the test for us? Who will pay our bills besides us? Who will get our child into that program or school if not us? Who do we turn to that would care about us? Jesus! Jesus cares about you. I want you to stop now (my suggestion of course), and ask yourself if you believe that. Do you believe Jesus cares about you? If you answer “yes”, then when problems come: How do you feel? Anxious? Upset? Worried? Calm? How do you respond? Telling your mom? Calling a friend? Praying? If you believe Jesus cares about you, He will be the first to hear about your issues. He will always be the peace you have over situations. He will never fail to listen, care, and then -- here’s the kicker -- DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. Jesus isn’t going to just smile and nod. Jesus won’t sigh and say, “Well, that’s too bad!” Jesus loves you. Jesus died for you. Jesus is not going to skimp out now. He gave you everything you need: forgiveness and reconciliation with God. So, He’s not going to hold back on the LITTLE things. “Grace, my marriage/relationship problems aren’t little. My bills aren’t little. My failing grades aren’t little. My lack of job employment for months isn’t little. My “insert problem” isn’t little.” Let me clarify that God doesn’t belittle your problems or my problems, but to Him -- to God of the Universe -- we have little problems. God can’t give you more money? God can’t help you pass a class? God can’t get you a job? God just has the right perspective about things that I find so precious and monumental. Why Did Jesus Do That? I’m not Jesus, so I can’t tell you the real why or how of this miracle. I can tell you that God has His own logic and reasoning that we will never understand. Isaiah 55:8-9 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. But I thought about how Jesus asked what they had, and to the disciples (the 12 chosen people of Jesus’ crew) they only had a little to offer Jesus! It wasn’t even theirs…it was a little boy’s lunch. So, Jesus asked them not because He didn’t know how to solve a problem, but He wanted to come ask for a solution only He could provide. Jesus uses the little for big problems, but I want to share with you what I believe God is pressing onto my heart: God uses little because they’re little problems. Do Not Worry (Matthew 6:25–34) Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storehouse or barn; yet God feeds them. How much more valuable you are than the birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? So if you cannot do such a small thing, why do you worry about the rest? Consider how the lilies grow: They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not be concerned about what you will eat or drink. Do not worry about it. For the Gentiles of the world strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added unto you. God takes care of even the smallest beings. God makes sures cockroaches are fed. I hate cockroaches. I refuse to believe they’ll be in heaven, but that’s another talk…but my point is that God takes care of grass - each little blade is remembered and cared for by God -- so if God takes care of grass, He’ll take care of Grace! I’m sorry if you hate third-person speech, I couldn’t help myself. Your Worries are Temporary Okay, if someone told this to me like three months ago: you, me, church parking lot and we’re fighting. But it’s true. It’s not a negation to my pain, it is a validation: it is that this life and world is so full of suffering and heartache, that God said “no more” and sent Jesus so that it ends with Him. Our offering. Our debt paid. Our ransom. Our Jesus. God collects your tears. Psalm 56:8 You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. Collecting tears: weird hobby. But what hurts you and pains you matters to Jesus. It is remembered. We cry alone. We cry with others. We cry inside even when no tears even form on the surface. God doesn’t forget you. God doesn’t forget you. God doesn’t forget you. I need to know that. God, as I surrender the pain and grief of these past few months. As I give up my own will and desires, I pray that You will remember and hold me close. Lord, remember me. Don’t leave me. With You, nothing is too little that You won’t care about it. Tears are small drops of water. Tears are little. God counts each and every one. God loves you. God will never ever leave you. God is with you. God is for you. Closing Prayer:

Dear God, Let us not neglect the “little” things in our lives. “Little” sins lead to death. No sin is “little” in Your eyes actually because all sin leads us away from Your loving arms. Lord, lead us back to You. Lord, teach us to love You. Lord, show us the value in what we think is of little value. Show us that all we have to offer is all that You need to have all that we are. Lord, grant us the wisdom to take little steps of faith. Lord, give us the faith of a mustard seed to move mountains. Lord, give us the little we need so that we can live out our lives for You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen