Using Little
“You have more in your hands than you realize. And while God could accomplish His purpose without us, He wants to use us. He takes what little we can give, and He multiplies it beyond what we can imagine.”
“When they were full, he told his disciples, ‘Collect the leftovers so that nothing is wasted.’ So they collected them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces from the five barley loaves that were left over by those who had eaten.” (John 6:12-13 CSB)
My husband and I got our kids a puppy for Christmas. He’s a perfect little golden retriever boy. Except, he’s currently going through the toddler phase. He chews and bites and jumps, and it’s driving us all a little bit crazy. But he’s oh so cute.
A few weeks ago, I was home with the kids and getting them ready for bed. Cooper, the toddler dog, was wild. I leaned over to discipline this toddler, and he jumped up and bit my brand-new necklace. It fell broken on the floor. It’s a wildflower necklace I wear to remind me of how God takes care of us—of how we have no reason to fear He won’t provide. We have no reason to labor and spin (Matt. 6:28). It had been a hectic afternoon of wild kids and a wild dog, and I sort of lost it. No, I did lose it. I came unhinged. That might be a whole blog post on its own.
At this point, my sweet son came up and said, “Mama, I have some money in my money bank. I can give it to you to buy a new necklace.”
So, this unhinged mama had to re-hinge herself so she could squeeze this precious boy. He was willing to give whatever he had, no matter how little or how much.
I was reading in John 6 about how Jesus fed five thousand people. This huge crowd assembled on the grass to hear Jesus teach, but of course He also wanted to meet their physical needs. (In case we ever forget, He delights in doing so.) Jesus asked His disciples where they would get enough bread to feed everyone, and just like us, they looked at what they had in their hands. It wasn’t enough. It would never be enough to feed this many people.
What Jesus did next is what He continues to do with our willingness. A little boy in the crowd had a small meal—five barley loaves and two fish. And this little boy surrendered it to the Lord, much like my boy was willing to surrender all his money to buy me a new necklace. I picture him running up to the disciples, proudly offering what he had. Hey guys, I’ve got some food. I’ll share it! It must have made Jesus so proud.
Here's what I think though: Jesus could’ve just created food out of nothing. Ex Nihilo—something from nothing. So why doesn’t He? Jesus, instead, chose to use something little to create enough for the multitude.
How does this play out in our lives?
Sometimes—most times—I feel I have so little to offer the Lord. Some days my hands look empty. I am betting you feel this way too. Maybe you think, I don’t have a lot of talents. I can’t lead. I can’t teach. I don’t have a lot of money or anything of value. I’ve messed up too much. I don’t have enough Biblical knowledge.
I’ve looked at what I hold in my hands and thought, God can’t use this. This isn’t enough. Someone else could do this way better.
Here’s the difference between us and this child: He didn’t look at how little he held in his hands. He simply gave it. But we tend to look around at what everyone else is offering God. We compare what they’re giving Him with what’s in our hands, and we devalue what we have to offer. That comparison robs us of the joy in realizing how much God can do with the small. The little.
You have more in your hands than you realize. And while God could accomplish His purpose without us, He wants to use us. He takes what little we can give, and He multiplies it beyond what we can imagine. And what’s amazing is God doesn’t need Christian superstars in order to change lives; He delights in our simple obedience—in our everyday offerings. (more on this soon)
Hand the Lord your compassion, your kindness, your talents, your obedience. Hand Him the way you raise your children, the way you care for aging parents, the way you treat strangers and talk to the cashier. Whatever you consider little, hand it all over, knowing God can take it and multiply it. You may not see the impact, but it’s overflowing. It’s twelve baskets of “too much”—abundance for someone else.