Small compared to what?

“Here’s a law of life we all should be aware of: As long as our heart is focused upon what we don’t have and on what we think we’re entitled to, we will not be happy!” _Steven K. Scott, The Richest Man Who Ever Lived, p. 100

It is not uncommon for me to hear a pastor, speaking of his church, say: “We are a small church.”

Immediately I want to ask, “Small compared to what?”

My state overseer, Thomas Gillum, recently told me of a church in a small North Dakota town with a population of about 30 that averaged 15 in attendance when he was Overseer there. Are you going to call that a small church?

If you say, my church is small compared to what it is going to be – I will applaud. But if you say, my church is small compared to some church across town or across the country somewhere, I will say, “foul!”

Whether it is the size of your church, your business, your income, or any other category that you’re tempted to peg your self-worth to; the moment you start comparing yourself against others you are setting yourself up for failure (and possibly sin).

The goal is not to be larger than anyone, the goal is to be all you can be. Get with it friend, believe in yourself.  Get your eyes off others and go look in your mirror and ask yourself, “Do I have a personal plan for growth that will help me to be all I was meant to be?” 

Perfect and adjust that plan as you go through life and keep your eyes focused where they need to be—on yourself and off others, and more importantly, on your big and awesome God.

• The ONE THING for today: “Smallness” is a temporary condition on the journey of growing and maturing into being all that God has planned for you to be.

Zechariah 4:10 (NKJV) For who has despised the day of small things?