A lot of people have big dreams, legitimate God-breathed dreams, in
their heart for big impact. They imagine the impact their life could
have on those in need. They consider how God could use them in big ways.
They are ambitious for God and His call on their life – and that is a
good thing…
Ambition is actually a good thing.
The
disciples were ambitious, and Jesus did not scold them for it. When the
disciples asked Jesus who would sit at His right and left hand in
heaven, Jesus answered by simply re-defining their concept of greatness,
but did not shame them for desiring to be great (Mark 10:35-45).
Then
we see in 1 Timothy 3:1 that “to aspire to leadership is an honorable
ambition”. Based on this scripture, it seems like ambition is not the
problem; it can even be honorable. The problem with ambition comes when
the motive for greatness and/or the method used to make a big impact is
wrong.
The pattern that seems to be prevalent in our social
media, celebrity-driven culture is that people so badly want to make a
big impact, and maybe even for the right reasons, but they lose sight of
what is real and end up taking a deceptive path that never leads to
true greatness.
The truth is we need to stop worrying about
making a big impact, and instead start focusing on multiplying the small
thing that is in our life right now.
I see the same situation
repeated over and over again among Christians: They start off with a
genuine, God-planted dream in their heart to help people, make a
difference, and make a big impact. With the dream bubbling in their
heart, they start making baby steps towards that dream. They go to
school, work hard, save money, intern at their church, or volunteer at a
local outreach.
But after a couple months or a couple years,
they realize the baby steps are super ordinary and boring things. They
are in behind-the-scenes roles, and they don’t see how God could do
anything big with what they are currently doing. So they jump ship. They
give up on faithfulness and start chasing the shiny stuff, the “new”
stuff. At first the “shiny” new experience is exciting, but then over
time it looses it’s glimmer and they are face-to-face with faithfulness
again. The “shiny” did not get them closer to their dreams of making a
big impact, but instead put them frustrated and behind the curve.
Scripture’s message is clear: “he who is faithful in the little will be entrusted with much” (Luke 16:10).
The Biblical method to making a big impact is found in being faithful in the small… being faithful in the now.
So, what is your “now”? What is in your life, right now? What are your current roles, responsibilities, and opportunities?
Tomorrow’s influence is dependant on today’s faithfulness.
If
God was looking down on you and looking at what is in your life right
now, would His response to you be, “Well done, good and faithful
servant”?
When we are a good and faithful servant, God positions
us to make a big impact. He says, “’Well done, good and faithful
servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over
many things’”(Matthew 25:23).
Making a big impact is birthed by faithfully multiplying the small.
And,
the kicker is this: we can’t “make it happen” on our own. We end up
chasing the wind, when we strive and rebel against faithfulness. We have
to trust that God’s Word is truth. We have to trust that His way of
faithfulness and multiplication of the small creates the big impact we
desire. When we submit to His method and humbly rely on His grace, He
opens doors and favors us in ways that we could never have done on our
own.
God is the one that makes the big impact happen; our role is to follow Him and be faithful in the little.
If
you are in a place where you are striving and chasing big dreams,
instead choose to plant and prove yourself faithful. I challenge you,
stop chasing the shiny stuff, it will leave you empty and frustrated.
Follow the ways of the Master, and know that He will entrust you with
big impact, once you prove faithful in the small.
[written by Erica Giesow]
