Little Drops of Water

            He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. (Lk 16:10)

There’s a hymn in our hymnal that starts with a beautiful metaphor: “Little drops of water, / Little grains of sand, / Make the mighty ocean / And the beauteous land.”

In all of our aspirations, everything great begins small. The novelist writes his book sentence by sentence. In fact, he started much smaller—when he was still learning subject, verb, and predicate in grammar school. The architect erects his complex construction brick by brick. But he also began the work much smaller—mere strokes of a pencil on paper.

Similarly, the great biblical icons all started humbly. David only had the courage to face Goliath because he had previously faced bears and lions (1 Sam 17:34-37). But it was also because he had faced Goliath that he could face the longer burden of Saul. God was his trust. Moses could only lead the millions-strong Israelite nation because he spent forty years tending sheep day by day (cf. Ex 3:1). Stephen could only be martyred because he died a little bit every day serving the church and preaching unfazed (cf. Acts 6, 7).

Training is always progressive. We learn to crawl so that we can walk. We learn to walk so that we can run. Therefore don’t be surprised if our journey of faith grows steeper year by year. But it always begins small. We learn faith by trusting God in small things—in the little worries that plague us daily. But then with every step of faith, we see small miracles. With every experience our trust in God grows, until we truly do not worry what tomorrow may bring, or if we may die.

Similarly, it is no surprise if serving God gets harder each year. God’s training is continuous. We learn servitude by being submissive in small things, so that we can be submissive in the big things, for we cannot face Gethsemane all at once. Future ministers and church council members begin with being faithful in the small things: cleaning the church toilet, being accountable with every church cent, diligently fulfilling every assignment.

Therefore let us strengthen our faith promise by promise. Let us renew our spirit verse by verse, prayer by prayer. And let us serve God day by day. Little by little, we will be refined like gold.

 

            Questions for Reflection:

What are the little drops of water in your life of worship and service to God? Have you been faithful in those little things?