Little Is Much When the Lord Is in It
My very first Christmas choir solo included these lyrics: “Little is much when the Lord is in it.” I was a shy, insecure thirteen-year-old, but I took such comfort in these words.
Today, they still encourage me whether I’m wondering what difference my writing can make or whether my students actually take the time to read my comments and feedback to help them improve. Maybe you’ve felt the same way. When we’re tempted to despair at how “little” we have to give, let’s remember a minor character in a major Bible story.
Show Up for Service
Instead of worrying about outcomes, we should instead focus on showing up for service. That’s what the boy did in John 6 when he offered the disciples his lunch. He either overheard Jesus asking His disciples where they should buy bread to feed the crowd, or he perhaps caught wind of the disciples murmuring about how impossible such a request was. Regardless, he volunteered what little lunch he had to be used.
We can almost hear the doubt, maybe borderline sarcasm, in Andrew’s voice when he tells Jesus, “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?” (John 6:9 NKJV).
The little boy wasn’t worried that his lunch wasn’t enough. He simply showed up and gave what he had. Although the only things we know about him are that he was a lad with a little lunch, I’d like to think he had great faith in what Jesus could do with it.
Be Grateful for What You Have
Most of us, though, relate less with the lad and more with the disciple Andrew who asked, “What are they among so many?” Try inserting yourself into that sentence: What are my __________ among so many ________? For me, that might read like, “What are my books among so many other books?” In other words, how can my little make a difference?
I love that Jesus doesn’t answer Andrew’s question. Instead, he tells the disciples to have the people sit down while He gives thanks for the food they have. Listen in on what happens:
And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten (John 6:11-13 NKJV).
After He gave thanks for the food, Jesus didn’t make a show or embellished display of the miracle. He simply set to work distributing the food to the disciples to pass out.
His example reveals another key aspect of gratitude: humility. When God does multiple our “little,” we should simply move forward humbly. We must always remember Who makes our work possible in the first place and redirect the praise.
Embrace Small Beginnings
Our God is such a generous God. He not only fed the five thousand, but He also provided more abundantly than even the people there needed. Speaking of people, remember that five thousand was only the number of men (John 6:10). The actual number including women and children was far greater.
The small beginning that was that boy’s lunch, when made available for God to use, far surpassed anything that lad could have imagined. Because he wasn’t ashamed to give what he had, he got to be part of one of the most famous miracles recorded in the Bible.
Have you ever felt that what you have to offer is too “little” for God to use? Let’s not “limit” God with our thinking, because He uses any number of unlikely people and places to accomplish His will. As my Christmas solo piece said, “It was in a little manager in a simple little town …” that God picked to be the earthly birthplace for His Son.
Don’t write off whatever gifts God has given you, even if your beginnings seem small. Great things can grow from little birthplaces.
~ Kristen
