The little things matter...

           In the wee hours of the morning I got up to spend my much-needed time with God. During this session, I found myself crying out to God and asking Him what His will for my life is. Sure, I am doing various things for Him but as He helped me become aware of and sensitive to the hurts, pain and suffering of various people around the world, I found myself wanting to do more. Hence, my cry to Him, as I felt inadequate, like I’m not doing enough. Have you ever felt like that sometimes? 
          Hours later, while going about my tasks for the day, I listened to a sermon and God answered my prayer right there in that sermon! In that sermon, I heard stories of Saul and Joseph. Saul’s father’s donkeys got lost and on the request of his father, he went with a servant in search of the animals. It wasn’t a noble or noteworthy task, but he went because of his love and respect for his father. In the process, he met up with the prophet Samuel, and was anointed king of Israel (1Samuel 9 – 10:1). Joseph, on the other hand, after being sold into Egypt by his brothers, faithfully and humbly functioned wherever God placed him. Even when he was wrongfully accused of rape by his master’s wife and thrown into jail, God’s favor was upon him and he conducted himself in such a noble and honest manner that the keeper of the prison confidently entrusted the prisoners to his care. In the process of time, he was able to accurately interpret the dreams of two prisoners which led to him interpreting Pharaoh’s dream and thus becoming second in command over all Egypt (Genesis chapters 39-41).
          Each of these men, were not doing great, big noticeable tasks. They were simply functioning where God had placed them and when the time was right God promoted them to greater things. Sometimes, we may want to do more for God, something bigger and more noble, but all God wants from us is to do the “little” things that we are already doing. No one may see, know or care but those little things matter to God.
David, before he became king, was a humble shepherd. He faithfully tended his father’s sheep. Did his father or family notice? No. There he was fighting off a lion and a bear to protect his father’s sheep (1 Samuel 17:37) and his father probably never knew or even cared. He said nothing but continued faithfully to do his duty. He was so insignificant, that when the prophet Samuel came to anoint a king from among his father’s sons, he wasn’t even invited to the ceremony (1Samuel 16:4-12). Yes, he was that invisible and insignificant and what he was doing was going unnoticed. Yet, in the process of time, his seemingly insignificant duties, unnoticed by man was being noticed by God and God raised him up to be king of Israel.
          Maybe the little or much you are doing seems insignificant, seems to go unnoticed by many even those close to you. Maybe you want to do so much more for God, but the opportunities don’t seem to be coming your way. Do like these men, be faithful in the little things. Be faithful, even when no one sees or cares. You want to do more for God? Keep doing what you are doing for Him now. That’s what God helped me realize today. His will for my life is to continue doing the little or much that I am doing, and all these tasks will lead to greater and greater things for Him. Sometimes, we want to do so much for God and may feel like what we are doing isn’t enough. But take heart, God sees and knows, and He just wants us to be faithful in the little so that He will know we will be faithful in the much.
          Think about it, Saul was anointed to be king over Israel, while he was doing a seemingly insignificant task as looking for his father’s donkeys. David was doing his duty and tending his father’s sheep and wasn’t even invited to the ceremony, but God sent for Him. No matter where you are and what little task you are doing, when God is ready for you He knows exactly where to find you and hopefully He will find you faithfully doing those “little” things that seem so unimportant to others, the tasks sometimes that no one else wants to do.
          Use the gifts God has given you to use right now; do those things that your hands find to do right now, even if trivial. Each little thing is like a stepping stone to greater things for God. God knows your heart, that you may want to do more for Him but take heart, He sees those “little” things and He is pleased. 
          
​          If you have never asked Christ to come into your life, invite Him in now. Simply ask Him to come and forgive you of your sins and be Lord of your life. When you have made this step, watch God do greater things in you than you could ever dream of or accomplish on your own.