Do not despise small beginnings

God has called us to dream big, to achieve big things for Him. But a lot of times we look at what we have, our abilities and resources, and we think we can’t do much for Him because what we have is so little.

But let me encourage you. Don’t be afraid to start pursuing your big dream because of your lack of resources. When God calls us to pursue our dreams, at the start of the journey, He works with what we have available and what we have is often small. Though we lack strength and ability, God tells us not to be discouraged, to not despise small beginnings.

As it says in the Bible – “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.” (Zechariah 4:10 NLT)

When we face the pursuit of a large goal, we often encounter fear. We’re afraid even to get started when we see how little we have. So we are tempted to settle where we are and to live mediocre lives. But God tells us to not be intimidated by our lack of resources. We need to take the step of faith and start on the journey of pursuing our dreams, trusting that God will multiply our resources.

The Bible is full of stories of how God transformed lives of believers who trusted Him with the little that they had.

Moses had only a staff, but God used that staff to help part the Red Sea.

David was just a shepherd boy, but God chose him from among his more qualified brothers to become the King of Israel. Later, God also helped David to slay the giant Goliath, with just a sling and some small stones.

Elijah met a widow who only had bowl of flour and a jar of oil during a great famine in the land. The widow was down to her last portion of food, but Elijah promised that the flour and oil will not run until the famine was over. Sure enough, God miraculously supplied Elijah and the widow through their small offering of oil and flour and kept replenishing the food, helping Elijah and the widow survive the famine.

Another great example of God working with our small beginnings is with the account of the feeding of the 5000 by Jesus. Our Lord was faced with a massive hungry crowd of 5000 people. He asked his disciples to feed them. The disciples, instead of saying outright that it was impossible, simply in faith offered what they had. They offered him just five loaves and two fishes. But Jesus was able to multiply their resources and feed the huge crowd with just the small amount of loaves and fishes. In the same way, though we have little resources, God can still use what little we have to achieve great things.

So don’t be discouraged if you have to start small. In the Bible it says – “Your beginnings will seem humble, so prosperous will your future be”! (Job 8:7 NIV)

A lot of times God works through those who start small in order to show that the success from the venture comes from Him and not from human strength. It says in the Bible – “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit”, says the Lord (Zech. 4:6)

In 1 Corinthians 1:26-29, Paul writes about how God uses weak people like you and I to achieve His great purposes –

“Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.”

Finally, one of the most powerful examples of small beginnings comes through the image of the mustard seed. In Matthew 17:20, Jesus says – “I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

The mustard seed is an incredibly tiny seed, just a dot in your hand. Yet know with Jesus that as long as you have faith in God, He can use even your tiniest resources and enable you to work miracles.

So don’t be discouraged if you look at your resources and only see lack. Step forth in faith and let God multiply what you have and grant you the victory over your obstacles!