Small Gift, Big Effect

 

“One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, ‘There was a little boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?’” John 6:8-9 [AMP] 

Jesus, before John 6, had been in Jerusalem. He healed a lame man on the Sabbath, and the Jewish leaders harassed Him about it. Jesus taught them about His authority to heal and do it on a Sabbath. He told them He is the Son of God.

After the Sabbath, Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee. “A huge crowd of people” followed looking for Him (John 6:5). John said in John 6 that the crowds followed Jesus because they saw His miraculous signs. The people observed the big miracles Jesus did, and their curiosity continued about Him and His miracles.

            Notice, the crowds expected big miracles like healing people or raising people from the dead. Many of the ones who followed Jesus turned away from following Him when the Chief Priests’ solders arrested Him before His crucifixion (John 6:66). These people reacted as we often do. We sometimes turn our backs on Jesus when things do not work out the way we want.

How are we often like these early followers of Jesus? They followed Jesus and listened to God’s plan as long as they saw the big things He would do. Jesus amazed these people as they watched Him do the unexplainable. As we read John 6:8-9, we realize Andrew did not discard something small as being unworthy for use by Jesus. Philip realized the enormous task and saw nothing big by which to feed 5000 hungry men. Andrew understood God can use small and large. He recognized God gives small and large blessings and could use them for His purposes, though he did not understand how.

            Consider this in your life. Do you not recognize God even gave you the small things in your life? Do you consider He gave the small things just for you and not for use for something bigger than you? Philip did not recognize God gave the five loaves and two small fish to feed the 5000+ men. Andrew saw, considered, and wondered if Jesus could use them to feed the people. He led the young boy to Jesus and announced he found food but wondered “what good it would be with the huge crowd?” Andrew offered the young boy’s lunch as an answer in how they might feed the people. When he did that, the young boy inwardly conceded his right to keep the food for himself. Jesus showed God’s care for the people and His power over each aspect of life including sustenance, multiplication, sufficiency, and longevity.

            Today, ask God, “What have I not returned to You for Your purposes?” All God gives you is a blessing from Him. Sometimes the blessing is for you to keep and use for yourself. At other times, God’s blessing for you comes as you use the gifts as God guides to help, teach, guide, and/or forgive someone else. Not all gifts are tangible. Nor are they always expensive. Yet, each gift comes from God. Our perception often hides the intangible and inexpensive from our definition as gifts.

God gave one particular gift for each person. Its cost was great. That gift is salvation from sins and death. Christians do not die for the salvation of other people. Jesus did that with His perfect sacrifice. We should willingly die to self and our desires so other people will hear about Jesus, trust in Him, and receive salvation through Him by faith.

What do you now realize God gave you that you need to give back for His purposes?

God, I am a sinner. I’ve sinned against You and people by storing things up for myself because I considered I earned them or because I was totally selfish about what You gave me. Lord, please forgive me for not recognizing You gave me all I have, even salvation. Lord, take this heart of mine and mold it to desire what You desire. Make me desire You more than anything or anyone. Lord, nudge me from my plans to see the people You put around me whom You love. Show me how You want to use me to help them. Help me always to say, “Yes!” to You. Today, Lord, I give all I am and have, no matter how small I consider it, back to You. Thank you for never giving up on me and being patient with me. Amen.

Peace, I Give

Things which eye has not seen

And ear has not heard,
            And which have not entered the heart of man,
             ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.

For to us God revealed them through the Spirit;

for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.

For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?

Even so, the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. 

Now we (Christians) have received,

not the spirit of the world,

but the Spirit who is from God,

so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, 

which things we also speak,

not in words taught by human wisdom,

but in those taught by the Spirit,

combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God,

for they are foolishness to him;

and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. 

But he who is spiritual appraises all things,

yet he himself is appraised by no one. 

For who has known the mind of the LORD, that he will instruct Him?

But we have the mind of Christ.

                                                            1 Corinthians 2:9-16 [NASB]

Why do Christians have the mind of Christ?

When we became followers of Jesus, His Holy Spirit came to live in us. In John 14:18-30, Jesus said He did not leave His disciples as orphans. Even though they (and we) will not see Him on earth again until His return, He will live in us through His Spirit and we will live eternally with Him. We have the mind of Christ because Jesus loves us and we love Him, just as He and the Father love and abide with each other. For this reason, followers of Jesus can always have peace, His peace, not the worlds, since the Spirit lives in them. Christians do not have to fear. Jesus is always with us through His Spirit and so we can have His perfect peace, a heart peace which nothing can alter or destroy.

How does this mind of Christ, which Jesus gave, help us?

In Matthew 10:24-25, Jesus reminded His disciples a student is not above his teacher nor a servant above his master. If a person would deign to malign a leader, that person would have no problem maligning the student or servant either. We are no greater and should expect nothing less than what our Master and Teacher experienced. Yet, we need not fear what may happen. Why? We don’t need to fear because we have the mind of Christ, the Holy Spirit, within us and can live with true peace recognizing that though our bodies and spirits may be tormented in one or many ways, nothing can take our salvation and hope from us. We each are more valuable than sparrows. So, be brave and courageous, and continue to confess, teach, and preach about Jesus to the world. (Matthew 10:26-32)

Peace Jesus gives to each of us who believe in Him as Lord and Savior.

Peace we can have as we live each day of our lives whether in joy or trial.

Peace we must choose to hold on to when storms batter and fray.

Peace is what Jesus gives.

His love gives peace.

When the din of the world assaults our ears, we can go to our quiet place within ourselves and hear Jesus’ voice anew,

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” (John 14:27 [NASB])

We have the mind of Christ because Jesus loves us, and we love Him.

Follower-Discipler

          While teaching children, I led them to look at our calling as Christians. We recalled the Great Commission, Matthew 28:18-20. In it, Jesus tells us, His followers, to "go make disciples.” Jesus does not say, “Go save souls” or “Go hit them on the head with the Bible.” Many of us see that as a command to go out and do. If we go and do in our own strength or lose sight of the source of our calling, going and doing becomes a task and becomes wearying. We cannot go and make disciples unless we are disciples ourselves. The challenge is to have a relationship with Jesus every day, gain sustenance from Him, hear His command, and see as He sees the children He created and wants to follow Him, too. If we focus too much on our calling, our attention upon God wanes. We lose sight of the source of our strength and our heart's desire. We become weary. This loss of strength from inattentiveness to Jesus is not the same as wearying from running the race or from persecution. Our Lord says well done to those of us who ran the race for Him throughout our lives and have become weary in His service. God says well done to those persecuted for His sake. Notice though, He does not say we will not be persecuted. Through Peter, Paul, and other writers, God says we are called to this persecution. Persecution is inseparable from our vocation as the called of Christ. Christ also suffered for us, leaving us this example so we could follow in His footsteps (1Pet. 2:21). The questions follow: Are you a disciple of Christ? Are you in a daily relationship with Him? Are you living a life worthy to be persecuted for Christ? Would anyone even know you are a Christian? I challenge you not to become so busy with the task God has given you that you run off and forget your Lord. Be tuned in to Jesus and talk with Him each day so you can be a genuine discipler for Christ.