THE POWER OF SMALL THINGS

       By Agbortem J. C.

The beginning of everything is what is not always easy as they say but at times it is also because we fail to get the real point. Everything has a beginning or a starting point. You must start from somewhere. This therefore, is what matters in life.

Many find it very difficult to start in everything because they don’t wants to start small, we want to start up the larder not caring to know that we must start from step one before reaching the top. All because we lack the consideration of small things.

The word of God shows us in many passages that we shall see in this sharing that there is great power in small things; those things we ignore and consider good for nothing.

In the book of 1^st Samuel chapter 16 when God sent Samuel to anoint a new king for Israel from the family of Jesse, even Jesse himself could not imagine that his youngest son (David) would be the one. He started with older children until the seven were rejected by God before the small one came to the scene. Here God proved to us that he is a God that uses small things to make big things. He took David from the pasture to the throne; from a little shepherd to a mighty king.

When Jesus asked the apostles to provide something for the crow to eat after listening to God’s words, Andrew said; “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?" (J n 6:9) Jesus asked them to make the people sit down and the word of God tells us that they ate to their full and collected twelve baskets full. The loaves and fish that Andrew considered good for nothing became good for somthing.

When God sent Elijah to a widow in Zarephate; she told Elijah; “I have no bread left but only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug.” (1Kg 17:12). Here too God made the handful of flour and little oil grow more and more that they did not lack. It was no longer their last but always.

In the case of Moses, God did not ask him to carry all the weapons of this world to go and free his people from the bondage of slavery in Egypt. Moses’ weapon was a staff. A small stick used to guide the sheep in the pasture. It was with this staff that God performed all the great miracles he did in the days of Moses.

God did not choose a great woman to mother his son, he chose a lowly woman call Mary and this is what she said: “He has looked upon his servant in her lowliness…and lifted up those who are downtrodden”. (Lk 1:46-55). Another demonstration of God’s greatness!

In the cases mentioned above and even more in the Bible, God’s message is clear, there is great power in the little things around us; all we need to do is to allow him use those things to make us big.

How does the message above influence our spirituality?

            One thing is certain; this topic concerns each one of us in one way or the other. In our day to day living we are faced with challenges and very often do we consider the small things around us, talk less of even using them. Our society today gives very little or not attention to little things and even Christians are driven by that spirit.

Many have failed to do things because they either consider themselves or what they have very small for such task. We aim for big things; big positions, big start and things remain undone in our society every day.

The Israelites could not face Goliath because they were waiting for a stronger soldier than Goliath to fight him. Even King Saul wanted David to wear his amour and helmet but David could not walk with them because he was not used to. He went with just a sling and a stone and Goliath fell defeated. (1Samuel 17)

Many business plans are in cupboards and drawers because people want to begin with a huge capital, somebody who is not use to managing millions will be looking for millions to start a business. (It cannot go; start with hundreds and latter you will be in thousands, millions and billions) Everything starts with one. If you want to start a business and you have hundreds be determined to invest the hundreds and God will do the rest. Do not neglect the hundred you have because God will use it to make you a billionaire.

Many are jobless not because there are not jobs but because they don’t want to start with a five figure salary as they say. “I cannot be graduate and work for such a small salary” they say. Who knows if God wants you to start with small salary and take you to a big salary. We have seen people who used to earn hundreds earning millions. Start from somewhere no matter how small, God will do the rest. You can make something from something no matter how small it is but you can’t make something from nothing.

Many are not married, no because there are no women or men out there but because they want to marry standard men and women. “I want to marry from a rich family.” I want to marry a graduate.” I want to marry this or that! This person will never consider any man or woman that comes his way for marriage if the person does not have the big qualities he is looking for. God can give you a poor husband today and makes him rich with the twinkle of an eye. (Sirach 11:22) He can as well give you an illiterate man or woman and makes him or her literate through you.

            Many are dying for lack of knowledge and advices not because there are not teachers or advisers but because they only go to people of their levels to get advices and very often they don’t get the right advices. A lay man in the society can give you a piece of advice that a master degree holder will not give you. We saw the teachers of the law listening to Jesus at the age of twelve; can this be our case today?

We serve a God that works miracle through small things; all he wants from us is the determination and commitment to use the small things he has given us.

You may have something that you are neglecting; a talent or skill, a thing or a person; it is from that little thing that God will make you big. He did it for others and can do it for you if only you consider it today and decide to use it. Don’t neglect what you have because it is your treasure and wealth. Do not despise yourself because you are not like this person or that person. God made you to be useful in the society and you are useful.

Do not compare yourself with another person; life is not a matter of competition but a matter of being yourself in total humility. If you believe in God and yourself, even the little you have will be great tomorrow in the eyes of God; for there is power in small things. Amen.