It was such a little investment. My dad purchased $500 of bank stock on my behalf when I was eight years old. He added a little bit in at a time, but not a whole much. Yet over time, that little investment grew and grew. In times of booming business and gloomy recession that little investment was busy at work. Now, after 47 years, that $500 investment it has yielded over $100,000! My dad’s no financial genius, but he knows enough that just thinking or dreaming about the big does nothing. In order to get the big return later on, you must invest in the little now.  Focusing on the little releases the “huge.”

I find it stunning that when God walked on earth (Jesus) that He constantly drew our attention to the little things of life, whether they were: lilies of the field, mustard seeds, birds of the air, one lost lamb (amongst a huge flock of 100), a small coin, little children, a widow’s penny, or a small boy’s lunch (remember the 5 biscuits and 2 sardines?). Jesus taught, “Focus on the little things and huge things will happen.” Think about the little lilies and God will give you huge peace. Have little mustard seed faith and God will move huge mountains. Give God your little pittance and He will multiply your resources. Little things have huge impact in the hands of an awesome God.

The applications to this concept are … well, huge and infinite. But the hard thing about focusing on the little is that it goes against the grain of our human nature. We are fascinated by the big, the glitzy, the spectacular. We live in a “super-size” society, where bigger, better and more is the standard of expectation, desire and success. Even our expectations for church have to do with largeness; like buildings, budgets and bigshots (or nickels, numbers and noses)! Our preoccupation with the big often leaves us defeated, disappointed or disillusioned.

It takes a major renewal of the mind (the kind that only the Holy Spirit can do as we offer ourselves to Him in Whole Life Worship) to realize that only by focusing on the “little” can God’s awesome hugeness be brought about. It’s one of the primary principles of God’s Kingdom; the better we understand it, the more fruitful we will be as a follower of Jesus.

So those “little” decisions to turn from sinful choices reaps huge character in the future.

Those “little” times you spend in Bible reading and prayer reaps a huge, wise soul.

Those “little” acts of kindness reap huge impact in the lives of others.

Those “little” devotions of worship and obedience reap huge harvests of ministry.

Those “little” prayers for lost people reap huge treasure for the kingdom of God (and huge losses for the kingdom of darkness!)

So keep focusing on doing those little things well. Be persistent in maintaining the practice of the “little.” Value the Kingdom wealth packed into the little things of life. If we are faithful with the little, God will unleash the hugeness in the little that is often invisible to our human eyes … but what the Bible tells us is definitely there!

What shall we say the kingdom of God is like… ? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade. (Mark 4:30-32)