19 January 2011 Devotion for Today "Day of Small Things?" Luke 13:18-19
18 Then He said, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.” Luke 13:18-19
About eight years ago now we returned from our ministry in Europe to fit back into the American way of life. We lost no time in doing so, but many things about our lifestyle in Europe we retained. One of them was punctuality: the Germans, with whom we lived, are known for their precision and being meticulous- especially about time and being on time. They say over there that if you are on time, you are late. Another thing to adjust to was free drink refills, as well as the portions and size of meals. An all-you-can eat buffet type of place is virtually unheard of and in some cases, distasteful to the European mind-set. It is wasteful and even obscene in the European's mind. Another mindset that we are slowly changing is attitude toward recycling refuse and waste products. We would get one trash can per type of waste product that was dumped only once a month. And if you missed the trash pick-up, that was too bad.
By far the most significant thing to get readjusted to in American life was the sheer size of things such as automobiles and refrigerators and other household appliances. This is changing a little bit here in America but European automobiles are much smaller. Our big SUV's don't fit the roads well over there, plus the sheer cost of gasoline in Europe dictates smaller engines and size of vehicles. Even though we complain about the rising cost of gas, we still drive our Hummers and our Ford Expeditions. Europeans have tiny refrigerators- about the size of a college student's, and they shop several times a week where we Americans go to the Price Club, Sam's or some other bulk or wholesale grocery outlet and pile it into our SUV once a month to carry home. You get the idea. Americans still do things in a big way, make a huge splash, draw attention to their lifestyles probably because it relates to how they wish to see themselves. In our minds, big is associated with significance. The larger car or house we own, the greater we feel our significance might be.
Because of the economic slowdown in the past few years, some of this is changing. And while I lost little time fitting back into my American lifestyle, there were many things about the European lifestyle I still admire. But sometimes we have the tendency in America to overlook little things just because they don't demand or draw much attention to themselves. AS I've been reflecting on Christ's Parable of the Mustard Seed the past few days, the Spirit has caused me to focus more on the smaller things that are growing and taking root around me.
Seeds of faith, for example, that are being planted in people's hearts. Sometimes, like the mustard seed, you can't even see them or even see the results of them right away. The more time taken to cultivate and fertilize them, the more that they will grow. We ought never to discount what God is doing in someone's life; even if we cannot see a change in their attitude right now. Some of the most vibrant Christians I know now were also some of the toughest "nuts to crack." In this parable, Christ tells us not to equate His work always in terms of big results and significant change. Like the large branches that appear in the mustard tree, this will occur in time, but not right away. Big does not always mean better. And where God is working, dare I say it, size does not always matter.
What areas in your life do you see growing, but not very much right now. Do not be discouraged. Keep at it. Zechariah tells us not to despise the day of small things. The Psalmist also tells us we will reap if we do not give up. Give it a chance to work, and keep on cultivating what you know God wants to grow in your life. It may reap only a small harvest at first, but keep doing it. Before you know it, it will reap a hundredfold to the point you do not have room to hold it all.
Have a bless day!
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