First Baptist Church of Herndon

Starting Small

Linda Soller | May 20, 2013

We’ve been talking about the planting season in the Drop-In Class and we got on the topic of starting small. I have a particular affinity for all that is small in the world. It is possible that my height has always allowed me to relate to “small.” I think the politically correct description for me is vertically challenged, but I just say short. The class wasn’t discussing short people, but we were talking about starting things on a small scale and letting them grow.  How many times have you jumped in to something and wished you had not taken on so much so fast? If you aren’t careful it can be the same with your faith. It’s easy to fall in to the trap of thinking that God has immediate and great expectations for us. Somehow we aren’t sure if our small beginnings will be acceptable in his eyes. Why do we do that to ourselves? When we have a small set back why do we start thinking we can’t be faithful at all? I am not suggesting that we shouldn’t strive for big goals, but we do need to allow ourselves to start small.

What about the whole area of demonstrating faith through actions? Most of us would love to make a difference in the world, but few of us will ever make the morning news for our great accomplishments. So does that mean we don’t give what we can or share our skills when we can? Big change has to start somewhere. I truly believe that God smiles when he sees us being kind, loving, thoughtful, gracious, caring and helpful. I like to think that when we do simple things that positively impact the people around us we give God all sorts of material to use to get to the big changes that only he can bring about. If we miss those small opportunities or worse yet ignore them, then we are just putting obstacles in God’s way. We know God can overcome the obstables we put out there, but do you really want to be that person?

In Matthew there are a number of parables and one of my favorite deals with the concept of small. It is the parable of the mustard seed. Jesus reminds people that from the tiny mustard seed a tree grows, and that tree provides a home for the birds. Have you ever seen a mustard seed? It is very small. More importantly, the small mustard seed is just the start of something big. You never truly know how God will use the seeds you plant. Sometimes you will see results and sometimes you will wonder if your efforts are worth the trouble. When you are feeling at a loss and wondering what you can do, think small. Start with a kind word or kind gesture. It might be just a smile and a “hello” to you, but it could mean the world to the person who receives them.

Have a great week :o) Linda