What Can I Really Do
Sometimes the smallest thing is the right thing
Like many, I have been troubled thinking what can I possibly do to make a difference with so much discord in our country. Should I post to hundreds of people my thoughts and beliefs hoping to change someone's mind? Should I make a grandioso statement, or protest, or jump into the comment war on Facebook? Would anything I do actually make a difference? I am just one person.
When I wrestle with my thoughts, I am brought to similar struggles in pursuing the dreams and work God has called me to do. While my dreams are grand, sometimes the thought that I do not have enough resources causes me to think why even bother? It is during those times, I recall the words of a coach and mentor spoken to me years ago. While whining "I just can't to do what I want to do!”, her life-changing response to me was, "If you can't do what you want to do, then do what you can do." You see, I had allowed the thought that it was all or nothing keep me from doing anything.
Sometimes it feels as though we can't begin to make a difference until we have it all together and ready to do something big. The truth is that God wants us to be obedient and just take one small step. In Matthew 13:31-32, Jesus tells the parable of the mustard seed:
The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.
In this story, Jesus was demonstrating that the scope of the gospel would start small, but it would increase in the end. He was not giving instructions to go and produce a major production; He said start with one seed and see how it grows.
So what can that look like for us today as created women, who work to fulfill a purpose and make a difference? Perhaps instead of waiting until we can speak to hundreds, or create something magnificent, it could mean starting a conversation with someone who is different than you, then listening and learning how you can help. Maybe it is inviting conversation in your home to see how you as a family can make a difference. It could be it is making that one phone call to gather information to prepare for the next step in the dream God has given you. Perhaps it's time to invite a partner to assist in tasks that seem too big for one person or begin to volunteer right where you are. It is being diligent in one taking one active step, even if it seems small.
Sometimes the work we have been called to do can seem too big to even begin, but let us take heed to the words of Jesus. We need to be humble enough to start with something as small as a mustard seed, and let the Lord guides us from there.
Reflection
1. What is one small step you can take today toward the "thing" that God is calling you to do?
2. How has feeling as though you can't make a difference stopped you from doing something?
3. What might happen if you did the “one thing”?
Goals
List one goal you can accomplish today (at home, at work, with family, etc.) that will allow you to live out your purpose in regard to DREAMS.
The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.
Matthew 13:31-32 (NIV)