If you’re like me, maybe you long to do BIG things for God. Important things. Things that make a profound difference in the world.
It’s tempting to think that the “big things” are things that involve ministering to hundreds of thousands or millions of people. It’s tempting to assume that if I am not impacting large numbers of people each day, what I am doing for the Lord is insignificant.
It is important to reach many people. If God provides me with an assignment to do this, may I do it faithfully and in the power of His Spirit.
But the little things I do for people are big things in God’s Kingdom, too.
The little things I do for neighbors, coworkers, friends, and people around me, are the essentials. This is how we daily show the love of Christ and build the kingdom. In fact, they may be even MORE important than the things we often think of as “big” things.
I don’t want to be deceived here and throw up my hands and assume I don’t get a role in God’s kingdom because I am not a super visible member of the Body of Christ. Every one of us is essential to build up the body and bless it and help it function in healthy ways.
We aren’t all called to be in the limelight. We are not all Billy Graham. Or Paul. Or Deitrich Bonhoeffer.
Many times, God purposely calls us to obscurity. To do the seemingly “small” things.
Will I humble myself and embrace “unimportant” opportunities to serve Christ and love people? Will I be faithful, even then?
What if “small things” like these make an immeasurable eternal impact? What if the little things really are the big things in God’s kingdom? These are the things that matter most to God. My motives, my heart, my words, and my actions.
With My Kids
- Slowing down to take time to pour into my children by reading the Bible with them, discussing what we read, and praying with them each morning or each evening.
- Rocking my baby and taking care of her physical needs.
- Teaching my children God’s ways, explaining His wisdom, and teaching them to discern right from wrong.
- Doing something small with each of my children that they love—just to connect with them.
- Turning down a great job opportunity to be there for my child who needs more support in this season.
With My Husband
- Loving and respecting my husband in good times and in bad.- Being committed to God’s design for my marriage.
- Being there for my husband in the mornings and evenings to snuggle and bless him.
- Turning down a great job opportunity to be there for my husband who needs/wants my support.
With My Family
- Managing my own household well—doing chores, keeping things neat and orderly, feeding my family physically.
- Setting a beautiful, holy example of love, life, speech, faith, purity, and self-control for my family and those around me (by the power of the Holy Spirit).
- Sitting up all night with a sick spouse or child.
- Hugging my husband and kids, giving back rubs, being affectionate.
- Smiling! A lot.
- Infusing the joy of the Lord into my home and family through my example.
With Everyone
- Standing up to address sin by speaking the truth in love. Not cowering in fear and not repaying evil with evil.
- Loving my children’s friends.
- Taking opportunities to share Christ with my kids’ friends and their families, and others one-on-one.
- Checking on lonely neighbors.
- Texting friends to check on them and pray for them.
- Taking a casserole over when someone from work, church, or the neighborhood is sick or grieving.
- Sitting and crying with someone who is mourning and praying for them.
- Reacting calmly in a crisis and being steady and dependable.
- Being trustworthy, kind, and compassionate with those closest to me.
- Mentoring one wife.
- Being a godly friend to one woman or a few women.
- Reaching out to a friend, relative, or stranger who is in need to share out of our abundance.
- Giving a gift anonymously to bless someone who is having a hard time (with my husband’s approval).
With God
- Singing praise songs to God with my family.
- Spending time alone with God to love Him, get to know Him better, and invite Him to transform my heart, mind, and life.
- Praying in private for God’s will and praying His Word and promises into the world.
- Repenting of any sin in my own life, allowing God to refine and purify me.
These “small things” done in love last for all eternity.
As we lay down our lives as “living sacrifices” to the Lord (Rom. 12:1-2), He gives us the ability and power to determine His will for us. His good, pleasing, and perfect will. He can show us our assignments. The big ones and the small ones.
Honestly, we all usually have a whole lot more seemingly “small” assignments than we do big ones. And if we can’t be faithful in small things, God will never entrust us with bigger things.
As we draw nearer to God, He helps us to see that every assignment the Lord gives us matters and is important in His eyes and in His kingdom. We never know which little act of kindness, thoughtfulness, compassion, grace, mercy, or love may change a person’s life and transform the world for God’s glory.
- So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Cor. 10:31
- The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. Gal. 5:6
All He asks is that we be faithful, loving Him with all our hearts and loving others with His love.
She who is faithful in little will be faithful in much.
May we delight in any ministry opportunities the Lord provides and may we be a blessing to those the Lord places in our path.
And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.
Matt. 10:42
Much love, dear sisters!
Lord,
Please give us eyes to see the little opportunities all around us to be Your mouth, hands, and feet. Love people near us with Your love in us. Minister to them through our words and compassion. Let Your Spirit help us to see the moments You give us to make an eternal impact in the everyday activities of life. Help us to be faithful to You and use us to impact this world for Your kingdom in our little circles doing whatever You call us to do to bless others.
Amen!
Hi April. Your post TRULY made my day! I go to bed at night and think “Did I do enough to show Christ that I want to make a difference in this world?” But then I try to remember Dr. Kings’ quote: “IF I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.” So, each day I try to ignite a spark of happiness into someone else’s life. ie: baked goods, gifts, cards, candy, donations or just “time talking”. So, I will save this precious post & awesome prayer and hope that the Lord continues to lead me in the small things. Wishing you and your sweet family God’s Daily Love, Peace & Kindness at this “interesting time”. THANK YOU!! PS> Still love your prayers from The Peaceful Wife. Those are like Gold to me.
Jennifer,
What a wonderful quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I love it!
May we all be encouraged to make the most of this time we have right now and to use it all for God’s glory. Yes, even in the little daily moments and the “small” things.
May God richly bless you and be greatly glorified in your life, dear sister!
I’m glad the prayers are a blessing. What an amazing gift that God allows us to have access to Him in prayer 24/7!
Much love,
April
Hi April,
Thanks for this reminder. When I read about amazing missionaries like Katie Davis Major who adopted 13 children and started an amazing ministry for the poor, I sometimes feel as if I’m not doing enough for God. I used to try to convince my husband to be open to adopting or fostering a child but he isn’t interested. I need to accept his decision and focus on the “small things” of submitting to my husband and taking care of my family and our home.
Nikki,
When I read about what other believers do, I get so excited! I want to be part of ministries that make major impact for the Lord, too. Fostering children, adopting orphans, giving tons of money to missions, working full-time in missions, reaching lots of people with the gospel, seeing God to big things.
But you are right, first, we must be faithful in what God has already given us to do and in honoring His leading. He will show us what He has for us and He will prepare and equip us to do it. I know if I somehow were able to run a big ministry but wasn’t adequately prepared spiritually, I would make a big mess of things. That wouldn’t glorify God!
Praying for God to do all the BIG things He wants to do in and through each of us through the little daily things. And that He would be free to do anything He wants to do in and through each of us—big or small. The size of the assignment isn’t as important as our faithfulness and obedience. The parable of the talent teaches us that.
Much love!
Also, I believe that as we invite God to give us opportunities of any size and we take them and make the most of them, He honors our heart’s desire to love others with His love in any way we can.
April, I loved this post! Have you heard of the book Unseen: The Gift of Being Hidden in a World That Loves to Be Noticed, by Sara Hagerty? I have it, but I haven’t read it yet. It sounds like it might have a similar theme to what you’ve explored here :). Anyway, I second the comment about how helpful your prayers are. Have you ever considered publishing a book of prayers? You are so good at writing them! I feel as though it’s difficult for me to know what to say/think in prayers and I often use yours, or parts of yours, and I have done this for years. I think it would be helpful if you would at least have a section on your blog that is all prayers, according to theme or situation :). Hope you’re well. xoxo
Liz M.,
Thanks for sharing! I haven’t heard of that book, but it sounds interesting. 🙂
I used to have a prayer day once per week on my site. You can search “prayer day” and find many prayers. Sadly, those posts didn’t get read as much as the others. But I know prayer is where our power is. Time with God in His Word, time spend praising Him and listening. And time in prayer.
I’m glad the prayers have been a blessing. Sometimes it helps to have someone’s inspiration to follow. Another thing that is amazing is to pray God’s promises and truths from Scripture over your life, your husband, and your family.
There is also a category for my blog “faith” and under that “prayer” with more posts that have my prayers for our husbands, children, ourselves, and our country.
Much love!
Awesome, thank you, April! 🙂
Dear April,
Thank you so much for this post! It’s consolidated something I’ve been realising recently – that the Almighty does not ‘need’ me to do some great thing for Him, since everything is under His control. Neither do I need to do something big to demonstrate my love for Him. He is actually developing me through all sorts of ‘circumstances’, and I am asked to trust and try to imitate His character in every little situation He puts in my life.
It reminded me of something I learned about in a recent online study event. A brother was speaking about Naaman in 2 Kings 5. He was saying how Naaman turned up at Elisha’s house in his chariot, and expected Elisha to tell him to do ‘some great thing’ (v13) to be cured of his leprosy. Naaman was disappointed when he was only(!) told to wash in the river Jordan. Doing this simple action was intended to humble Naaman, and it ultimately did. When he washed in Jordan, ‘his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child’ (14). That links to what Jesus says about how we need to humble ourselves and ‘become as little children’ (Matt 18:3)!
I really wanted to thank you for your blog and book. I found your blog, and then got hold of your book, a few weeks ago – providentially! I’m not married yet, but your description of your past experience, mindset, anxieties and the problems created by these things, really resonated with what I’d been experiencing recently in my own mind and in my relationship with my boyfriend (he’s stayed with my parents and I for long periods during lockdown).
I’m very thankful that our (Christadelphian) community has always held fast to the principle that ‘all scripture is given by inspiration of God’ (2 Tim 3:16), and has emphasised the important implications of this – one of which being that passages explaining the roles of husbands and wives and the roles of brothers and sisters, are certainly not “culturally-relative”, but rather speak of eternal truths about Christ and his congregation. But although I knew this in theory, I guess I hadn’t given enough thought myself to what submission and honour look like in practice!
As I’ve been provoked to think about this Scriptural subject by reading your book, my mindset has really started to change. It hadn’t really occurred to me before reading your book, that the way I communicated with my boyfriend was based on anxiety, and a horrible attitude of pride, self-righteousness, and disrespect for him and his wisdom. I am now not only conscious of my own motives and the way I come across, but have come to truly value my boyfriend who is wise and loving, and has a very Christlike character. I feel determined to apply the word to myself and, with God’s help, be an ‘help meet’ for him and submit to him as unto Christ.
Sorry for such a long comment, but I really wanted to thank you for your help!
May God bless and keep you.
Anastasia,
It is so wonderful to hear from you. That story about Naaman relates perfectly to this issue. You are so right! I love how God spoke to Naaman in that moment through his servant, saying something like, “If the prophet of God had told you to do some great thing, wouldn’t you have been willing to do that? Why not do this simple thing he asked you to do?”
God has been reminding me that if I am not willing to do the simple little things, why would he ever give me bigger things? We have no idea how important each little thing may be, anyway, in the eternal scheme of things.
I’m so excited to hear what the Lord has been doing in your heart. I pray for the Lord’s continued healing and wisdom for you.
Of course, things will be a bit different before you are married as you are not biblically commanded to submit to him. But it is wise to begin learning the practice of honoring his leadership and always seeking to treat him, and all other people, with honor and respect.
In this culture, respect and honoring others doesn’t come naturally.
Praise God that He is willing to help us!