SMALL BEGINNINGS

Zechariah 4:1-5:11; Revelation 14:1-20; Psalm 142:1-7; Proverbs 30:21-23

“It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty…. Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin….”

‘Then I saw a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was someone like the Son of Man. He had a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. Then another angel came from the Temple and shouted to the one sitting on the cloud, ‘Swing the sickle, for the time of harvest has come; the crop on earth is ripe.’ So the one sitting on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the whole earth was harvested.”

“I cry out to the Lord; I plead for the Lord’s mercy. I pour out my complaints before him and tell him all my troubles…. Then I pray to you, O Lord. I say, ‘You are my place of refuge. You are all I really want in life.’”

“There are three things that make the earth tremble—no, four it cannot endure: a slave who becomes a king, an overbearing fool who prospers, a bitter woman who finally gets a husband, a servant girl who supplants her mistress.”

More often than not, I spend life looking forward to my next big project and worrying about when and if it will actually happen. It’s probably inevitable to some extent. We’ve all been trained to look at life as a series of major milestones ever since we were old enough to take our first unsteady steps. But on the other hand, such a perspective overlooks a lot of beauty, joy and opportunity. Major awards and recognitions suggest the little things leading up to them don’t matter. “Event ministry” detracts from the consistent discipline of daily study and prayer. All in all, we live in a second-place-is-the-first-loser society, and that’s too bad. It quashes creativity and originality and never recognizes the small victories of everyday life. Taken to extremes, it can lead us to disregard contributions made by anyone who does not cultivate the limelight.

The fact is, the world needs more servant leaders, people who aren’t afraid to lead through sacrifice. The Kingdom needs saints willing to decrease so Christ may increase. The Church needs to make a better effort to recognize and encourage those who give of themselves to bring others closer to Jesus.

I don’t stop to think about any of this nearly often enough, but when I do, it is always overwhelming to realize just how many people have selflessly given of themselves to help me. God has sent these “angels” throughout my life. Some have been recognized, but others have not. Numerous volunteers happily worked into the wee morning hours to assure we would be ready to present quality dramatic productions when the lights went down and the curtain went up. A piano teacher patiently taught me the joy of music, and persisted in that small triumph even though I refused to practice and never learned to really play. A coach was not afraid to also be a friend, and so kept several of us out of trouble. A Youth Pastor weathered heavy parental criticism to do what was right for the kids he shepherded. A teacher took me under his wing, leading to academic scholarships and a career as an attorney where I also have the chance to minister in various ways. A friend simply holds me accountable. None of these people asked for recognition or a share in any of the accomplishments to which their sacrifices led. They might even be embarrassed to be so recognized now. But their contributions have been indispensible; without them, I simply would not be where I am. I am exceptionally grateful for each one of them. I only wish I’d said so more often when I had the chance. For their part, they are content merely knowing that, in the Father’s eyes, they have played their parts well.

Big deals and events never just happen. They are almost always the culmination of a lot of behind the scenes sacrifice and support by those who will never see the stage. If the devil is in the details, success is also found in the little actions aimed at addressing those very same details in a proactive and productive way. In short, every big success has its start in a number of small beginnings. Let us never overlook or take for granted any of the work others do so that we can shine for our Father. For anyone who has not taken time to thank their supporting angels for their love and friendship, today would be a really good day to do so. No better use could be made of any Sabbath.