Little Is Much When God Is In It

Neal Pollard

The caption above is also the title of a song our family listened to on a vinyl record when I was a boy.  While I enjoyed the melody of that spiritual song, I suppose I may have not dwelled much on the message.  There are some parables in Matthew 13 that may have been the inspiration for the lyrics.

THERE IS THE LITTLE SEED (31-32).  The mustard seed produces a gigantic herb that is virtually tree-like.  That's the power of Christ's kingdom.

THERE IS THE LITTLE LEAVEN (33).  Just a little yeast and yet it thoroughly permeates.  That's like the kingdom of heaven.

THERE IS THE LITTLE PARCEL (44).  Compared to all that he had, one little field wherein the prospector's treasure was hidden was little.  That's how great the value of the kingdom is.

THERE IS THE LITTLE PEARL (45-46).  Hold even a huge pearl in your hand, and it fits there.  It's small.  Yet, the merchant Jesus mentions sells all he has to buy it.  That's the huge value of the kingdom.

God can do great things through the church, though we do not have the greatest numbers, voice, or power.  God owns His kingdom and it transcends all earth might throw against it.  Do not discount how big the little part you play can be! 

No Power Source

A native from a distant mountain village had the opportunity to visit a large modern city.  He was utterly amazed with everything he saw.  There were so many cars, buses, and other forms of transportation.  The roads were wide, smooth, and a strange black color.  The buildings were enormous.  Food, clothing, and other useful items could be bought at almost every store.   But out of everything he saw, the one item that amazed him the most was the light bulb.  He found it fascinating that he could flip a switch and the bulb would produce light.  Though he didn’t have much money, he decided the best purchase would be on light bulbs and switches.

When this man arrived back at his village, he began hanging the light bulbs all over the village.  Many asked him what he was doing, but he told them to wait until it got dark.  Once night came, everyone watched as he flipped on the light switches.  Nothing happened.  Despite his incredible interest in light bulbs, no one in the city had thought to tell the man about a little thing called electricity.

The light bulb is one of the most ingenious inventions, but it’s completely worthless until hooked up to a power source.  In Christianity, God is our power source.  We all have talents and abilities.  You have a skill set unlike anyone else, but if these skills are not used for the Lord, then what good are they?  What good is it to be beautiful, popular, rich, smart, successful, or even to gain everything the world offers, but risk loosing our souls (Matthew 16:26)?  Yes, these qualities may help us succeed in some parts of life, but if our skills aren’t used for the Lord, then they are worthless (Colossians 3:17).  If not used for God, nearly everything we do in life is, as Solomon said, “Vanity and striving after wind” (Ecclesiastes 1:1-18; 12:8).

In the parable of the sower, Jesus clearly taught that we should use what God has given us for His glory (Matthew 13).  Every single person has special abilities that can be used to bring glory to God.  Everyone has something to contribute to God’s kingdom. Talents and abilities not used for God are about as useful as a light bulb disconnected from the power source.  The question is, are you hooked up to the power source?  How will you use your talents and abilities to bring glory to God?