How big is your church?  How big is your bank account?  How big is your title?  How big is your viewer base?  How many followers do you have?

Culture has creeped up on the church in one “big” way—in the mindset that small equals insignificant.

I heard a preacher recently say, ‘If your life starts to look a lot like the world in any area, it’s time to reevaluate that area.’ I would say that every Christian needs to do that when it comes to their mindset of ‘importance’ equaling ‘size’—because it doesn’t! The small things are a lot more important to God than we give Him credit for.

Our supreme example, Jesus, was master of highlighting the small things. He ministered to “ones”, not just “thousands.” Most of his parables revolved around single individuals, and the importance of their stories. He is the master who helped us see the vital importance of small seed, regardless of it’s feeble starting size. With His teachings He turned the tables upside down on religious thinking in His day. Would they do the same to us now? Do our tables need to be capsized?

By today’s standards, Jesus might have not had much to Instagram. There were not innumerable glamourous things about His life to share with others. Except people. Jesus’ life was the people around Him.

Do these references ring a familiar note in your heart?

• Matthew 10:29-31 “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
• Zechariah 4:10 “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin…”
• Matthew 19:30 “But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.”
• Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

Even the scripture that profoundly words our Christian statement of faith, John 3:16, says how God gave one for all. The importance of ‘one’ in a sea of ‘all’. And in Luke 13:18, God even compares the vast entirety of His kingdom to one small grain of mustard.

Don’t be so blinded by society’s love for “big” that you get caught up in the race for it yourself. God has called us to the small details, because He’s in them.

When we lose sight of the small, and fall prey to culture’s race for significance based on “bigness”, the Bible says that we already have our prize. Whatever short-lived praise or accolades you get from getting to the front of the line will be the only reward you get! And who wants that?! Not me. Don’t be afraid of the small.

Remember we are running a cross country race here, not a sprint. We are in it for the long haul, for the reward of “well done” at the end of a life lived for the praise of God, not man. Oh, to forsake our flesh for His heart. Lord, may we do it always!

The world may equate small with insignificant, but God never does. The doorway to significance IS through the small.

Just ask the the Good Samaritan.

Or the lost sheep.

Or the camel going through the eye of the needle.

Or the kid with “just” 2 fish.

Or the farmer sowing a seed.

Or the guy who found the pearl.

They noticed small when other people were only looking for big. The took the small gate and the narrow path.

Don’t ask the wrong questions. Never confuse big and significant, and you’ll be on the right road to discovering the true kingdom of God.

Luke 13:23-30  

“Someone asked Jesus, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” He said to them, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’ “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”