The Upper Room Daily Devotional Nashville, Tennessee, United States “No Small Efforts” for Thursday, 1 January 2015 - Scripture: John 6:8-13

The Upper Room Daily Devotional Nashville, Tennessee, United States “No Small Efforts” for Thursday, 1 January 2015 - Scripture: John 6:8-9 One of the disciples—it was Andrew, brother to Simon Peter—said, “There’s a little boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But that’s a drop in the bucket for a crowd like this.”
10-11 Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” There was a nice carpet of green grass in this place. They sat down, about five thousand of them. Then Jesus took the bread and, having given thanks, gave it to those who were seated. He did the same with the fish. All ate as much as they wanted.
12-13 When the people had eaten their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the leftovers so nothing is wasted.” They went to work and filled twelve large baskets with leftovers from the five barley loaves.
The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.[Psalm 138:8 (NRSV)]
Often I fall into the trap of comparing myself to other people. When I look at the impact they seem to have on the world, I feel as if I don’t measure up. One day, when I was feeling inferior, God gave me a new perspective on the familiar loaves-and-fishes story. Instead of focusing on the miracle itself or on the boy who offered up his lunch, I thought about the woman who might have made the lunch. I imagined her kneading the dough with work-worn hands, carefully wrapping the fresh loaves and fish in a cloth, and handing the bundle to the boy with a kiss on his cheek. To her, these must have seemed such small, ordinary tasks. How could she have anticipated that the meal she had packed for her son that day would have such eternal significance?
That reminded me of the many ways that God takes our small efforts and uses them to feed people physically, emotionally, and spiritually. So when I feel that I should be doing bigger things with my life, I remind myself of the loaves and fishes. My job is to do the tasks in front of me. God’s job — God’s delight — is to use them to feed the world.
Read more from the author, here.
On Comparisons and Confidence
Making comparisons can be poisonous. I’m getting better at stopping myself when I notice my thoughts heading in that direction, but I still compare myself to others (and come up short) way too often. Lately, I’ve been reading Gifted Hands, a memoir by Dr. Ben Carson. In it, this son of a low-income, single mom tells how he grew up to become a successful neurosurgeon. He describes multiple instances in which patients’ lives were dependent on his skills. In each of these situations, he didn’t compare himself with other doctors or fall into fear or insecurity. Why not? Because he knew that God had gifted and equipped him to do this highly specialized work. He had faith that God would work through him to help his patients. I admire this kind of confidence.
I also recently completed a Bible study on spiritual gifts. I was impressed with the idea that each one of us—including me—is uniquely and beautifully equipped to minister to others through simply doing what we do best, both in the spiritual and physical arenas. (“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” I Peter 4:10) Dr. Carson can fix people’s brains. The mother of the loaves-and-fishes boy could make a great lunch. I have gifts, too—but I still lack that confidence that Dr. Carson shows. (Oh, dear! Is that another comparison?)
One of my favorite quotes says, “The glory of God is man fully alive.” I’m on a journey of learning who I am, what my gifts are, and how to use them. I look forward to the day when I am able to step out in confidence and say, “I can do this well because God has gifted me to do it.” I believe God wants all of us to freely be who he made us to be. And I believe that in that freedom—in that giving away of ourselves and our gifts—God shows himself and his glory to the world. He can do it through a neurosurgeon. He can do it through a nameless Jewish mother packing a lunch. He can do it through a devotional writer. And he can do it through you.[Sara Matson]
The Author: Sara Matson (Minnesota, USA)
Thought for the Day: What small task can I offer to God today?
Prayer:Dear Lord, help us to trust you to use us for your purpose. Amen.
Prayer focus: Meal preparers
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