No Little People
Tim Sweetman just published an excellent article with Boundless Webzine. Run over and check it out. To whet your appetite read this quote Tim shares from Francis Schaeffer — commenting on the staff of Moses. God can use anyone.
“‘God so used a stick of wood’ can be a banner cry for each of us. Though we are limited in talent, physical energy, and psychological strength, we are not less than a stick of wood. But as the rod of Moses had to become the rod of God, so that which is me must become the me of God. Then I can become useful in God’s hands.” – Francis Schaeffer, No Little People
August 9th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
It sounds encouraging. I’ll go read it now.
August 9th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
i’m going to read it now…it sounds great!
August 9th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Excellent! Thanks for posting! I’m inspired to be a “willing stick.”
August 9th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
This seems to go hand in hand with the previous post on Jesus choosing the disciples. If we have no weaknesses, then God cannot be glorified in us. It is only in our humility and in our absolute inadequacies that we can truly be vessels in His hands and then His strength is made absolutely perfect.
August 9th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
Yes, that was a very good article!
August 9th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
He’s being a “big” person by writing that blog for us. It’s inspiring.
August 9th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
What a Challenge. I want to look for oppertunities to be a that type of servant in every way God desires, big and little. Maybe God wants to make Samuels out of some of us. He just served God in every way and God lifted him up. Samuel Didn’t lift himself up. I need to remember that.
August 9th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
Last night, I was working in my mother’s office and, looking for music to listen to, I came across a really old CD by Steven Curtis Chapman, entitled “For the Sake of the Call.” The title piqued my interest due to the (last) most recent blog entry so I began listening and in my next real spare moment checked out the notes and lyrics in the lyric booklet. I wanted to encourage you to check out what Chapman had to say in introduction, along with the lyrics of the title song:
Jesus’ invitation was and is so simple — “Come follow Me.” Beginning with twelve unlikely men, history records the lives of many who have responded to that call at all costs and so shown themselves to be disciples of Christ. What motivated them to respond with “reckless abandon” to such a simple call from this man Jesus? It seems as though they had no concern for questions such as how they might benefit and what exactly was involved in following Christ. Somehow when they recognized WHO it was calling them, they needed no other reason to obey. It was the simple yet profound fact that God’s own Son, Jesus Christ, in all of His authority had called. My prayer is that history might repeat itself, that we might hear those words of Jesus again, “Come follow Me,” and that we too might respond as true disciples by living and giving ourselves “for the sake of the call.”
Nobody stood and applauded them
So they knew from the start
This road would not lead to fame
All they really knew for sure was Jesus had called to them
He said “Come follow Me” and they came
With reckless abandon they came
Empty nets lying there at the waters edge
Told a story that few could believe and none could explain
How some crazy fishermen agreed to go where Jesus led
With no thought for what they would gain
For Jesus had called them by name
and they answered
Drawn like the rivers are drawn to the sea
No turning back for the water cannot help but flow
Once we hear the Savior’s call we’ll follow wherever He leads
Because of the Love He has shown
And because He has called us to go
we will answer
Not for the sake of a creed or a cause
Not for a dream or a promise
Simply because it is Jesus who calls
And if we believe we’ll obey
We will abandon it all for the sake of the call
No other reason at all but the sake of the call
Wholly devoted to live and to die
For the sake of the call
To relate this to this article…
August 9th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
I was just recently reading that Hudson Taylor really desired not fame or success, but that he would be useful wherever God placed him, whatever God gave him. As he traveled for many years throughout China, though, he learned something else — and it’s something I’ve learned recently, as well.
Sometimes if we focus on our usefulness, we lose sight of what’s most important. And for some of us, it gets worse than just feeling little or doing small things — sick days? I look at my usefulness and… well, I’m just not accomplishing a whole lot that even I could see. But are those days pointless? Not by any means should they be.
Our highest calling, the reason we were created, is to LOVE God — to bring joy to the Heart that was pierced through out of Love for us. Donkeys, as we’ve seen in the Bible, can serve God’s purposes even by speaking what He desires. Flowers and mountains and all the natural world brings Him glory.
But why did He create mankind? Why He die on the Cross? To embody His Love in the heart of His Bride — to Love and be Loved by one who would share His thoughts, His joy, His sorrow, His passion; one who would share in His dreams and work as One with Him to bring them about, and alike share with Him their successes and failures (due to the people’s responses to Love offered).
As one who often feels not just little, but invisible; let me encourage you: Keep opening your heart to God — open it wide to receive and to give His Love freely.
It’s not the success or the glory that decides the greatness of the call, it is the One who calls. And it’s not the size or the usefulness of the gift, but the heart of the giver, that touches our Loving Father’s Heart. He doesn’t look at the outside, He looks at the love behind it all deep down in your heart. Open your heart and eyes anew every day to His Love to you at the Cross — then keep your heart open to love Him BIG in return. Keep your eyes on His Face and watch for His Smile. Thousands smiling over and applauding your greatest ambition accomplished could not compare.
Then — and this is most glorious — the only thought on your mind will not be “I am big” or “I am small” or “I am stuck” or “I am useful,” but rather “I am Embraced!” Then, and only then, is the greatest good accomplished; for then, and only then, is His Heart most touched with the JOY of being loved by one who belongs solely to Him as His Bride.
August 9th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
WOW! crazy the first part of his article is exactly where i am! I desire revival in America and in my life more than the air i breath! And i want it to come no matter what the cost!
August 9th, 2008 at 9:22 pm
Right on! God’s been calling me lately to do some hard things for Him–such hard things that I wrote a nine-page journal entry telling God I was the wrong man for the job. But His answer was that I didn’t have to worry about my qualifications because He is doing this through me. None of it’s us; it’s all about God!
August 10th, 2008 at 12:06 am
Wow. Very inspiring article. It certainly hit home for me! It reminded me of a poem I wrote awhile back:
“One Little Rebelutionary”
One little Rebleutionary, in a corner of earth,
Worked and toiled with “Do Hard Things” as her girth.
Doing things she didn’t necessarily like.
She watched her friends as they went on their hikes.
Using their gifts as they worked for the Lord.
Seeing the fruits of the works they labored for.
But this one little Rebelutionary got easily discouraged,
Because the fruit of her works were not so visibly discovered.
She would whine and complain.
Not realizing the value of the work mundane.
She sat in her room praying a pleading prayer.
When she suddenly realized that Someone did care.
The work that she did was not in vain.
For she was beginning to understand, that the Lamb that was slain,
Did not see her work somewhat less than the others.
The comfort she gave;
The prayers that she prayed.
The little things that didn’t seem much to her,
All were a great deal to the Lord that she served.
When the one little Rebelutionary had realized all this,
She stopped her complaining, and found her work bliss.
I have to constantly remind myself that I may be one little Rebelutionary, but I have one big God and that’s all that matters! May we all continue to serve HIM in everything we do!
August 10th, 2008 at 6:16 am
GREAT message!
For me personally, I kind of have the opposite desire of wanting to be known as the world-changer: I desire to do the important behind-the-scenes things (like running a photocopier) for a few reasons:
*I know and acknowledge I have a pride issue
*It’s the little things which allow bigger things to happen
I definitely liked the part where Tim talked about “by Tim” versus “through Tim”…makes me wanna design a new signature line for my emails!
August 10th, 2008 at 8:49 am
I read it and I thought it was totally God-inspired. I needed it.
August 10th, 2008 at 9:25 am
Hey:) I know this is kind of off topic, but i was thinking, could you guys do something where you have daily devotionals here on the website. Lately, I’ve been using the Brio devotionals from Focus On The Family, but I would really like it if you guys had something like that.
August 10th, 2008 at 10:52 am
Thank you for posting this..you have no idea…this is exactly what I needed to hear. It opened my eyes to some things. To God be the glory! Much love…
August 10th, 2008 at 11:14 am
Very inspiring, we might all be like me, oh I am just one person. Sometimes I wonder if I can really make a difference, but lately I have seen myself and others bearing fruit and its encouraging. thanks for that!
Also Tiffany thank you for sharing your poem. I think God has gifted you! Thanks for those encouraging words!!
August 10th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
Wow! That was an encouraging/convicting post. Thank you so much for it! It was just what I’ve been needing to hear these last couple of days. Isn’t it neat how God knows just what we need to hear? Lord, please make me a stick in Your hand!
August 10th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
Wow, this was the perfect article for me right now. I’ve been trying to serve the Lord in the small things, and it gets tough after awhile when you can’t see any major pay-off. Nobody seems to be getting saved as a result of your work, there is not any major recognition. Nobody really seems to be affected in any big way because of these small things.
This article reminded me that God chooses little people to do seemingly little things, and yet He brings himself great glory and honor through that. How amazing! I’ll be looking, by God’s grace, with new eyes at the work He’s prepared for me. There are no bigger tasks than the ones God calls us to.
August 10th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
Oh, gosh. How wonderfully humbling! We’re sticks! But oh, what God can do through a mere twig!
August 10th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
That article really seemed to describe me. I really wan’t to be some one big for God. Just two days ago I wanted to start a company to help girls with eating disorders. As I was working to make it happen, I felt God calling me to do some thing else. And now here I am working a a non-profit organization that encourages kids to raise money for kids allover the world. It may not make me big and important, but I feel, that after lots of prayer and hard thought, that God is calling me to be a “willing stick”. Thanks for posting the link for the article.
August 10th, 2008 at 10:43 pm
Thank you Tiffany K. for sharing that poem.
It reminded me not to feel sorry for myself.
An attitude of gratitude, might be more pleasing to HIM.
August 11th, 2008 at 9:32 am
This was so encouraging. I hope I can continually remind myself of these truths as I tend to get discouraged in the small things that don’t seem to be making any difference.
August 11th, 2008 at 10:44 am
That was a really great article!
August 11th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
It really makes you think hard about how God may use you, if you would only be a “willing stick”.
August 12th, 2008 at 5:56 am
Thanks so much for giving us the link to that post! It was amazing!
August 12th, 2008 at 9:12 am
Brittany Cronin sent me this article after she read the one I wrote on my blog. Thanks for posting it!
August 12th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Excellent article/post, and it certainly serves as a good reminder not to despair over the small hard things.
However, we should not use reminders and encouragements like this as an excuse not to do something big for God if he calls us to do it. We may think “Wow, I am so cool! I can persevere through through small hard things!” and then…become complacent. “Content” where we are. Unwilling to move out of the first step and into the second one.
This is not to say that those who lead lives of countless small hard things are worth less, or less important, or that they touch less people. Everything you do has the enormous potential to influence others, for good or bad. It’s just to say that if God calls you to be the next Billy Graham, you should be ready. But then again, maybe He won’t.
August 12th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
We had a really good chapel service last year about “living life after the and.” Barnabas was a great missionary. He was known as the brother of encouragement. When no one would trust Paul, Barnabas did. When Paul didn’t want to go on the mission trip with Mark, Barnabas trained him into someone who Paul later praised for his usefulness. Yet whenever we talk about Barnabas, it’s always “Paul AND Barnabas.”
Barnabas was definitely a “small” person, but God used him to revolutionize the world.
August 13th, 2008 at 10:21 am
I have been reading your book and many others and finding how much I think that I am very useless in this world because I am just a “kid”. My youth pastor told me that every teen in the world is an adult(in a sense). I just couldn’t get my mind around that idea at first. You are very right about the Myth of Adolescence. God can use even the smallest of people to make a difference! Your book and blog have been a wonderful encouragment already(though I am new to the idea)! God bless!
August 13th, 2008 at 10:28 pm
Thanks for linking this guys! Good stuff.
August 21st, 2008 at 8:22 am
Wow! Great words, Tim. For the rest of you, Tim is my first cousin once-removed. Vicky is my grandmother (his great-grandmother). Tim’s father is my uncle (my mother’s brother). Let me tell you more about the long-lasting influence of Grandma Victoria Sweetman. And I don’t mean long-lasting because of her 92+ years of life.
My mother went to Moody (where Grandpa & Grandma Sweetman met) and met my father, who was recently saved and headed for the mission field. Together they served the Lord in Sao Paulo, Brazil and later in the US for 49+ years. Dad died in the Fall of 2006. Dad led literally thousands of people to Christ through his personal evangelism, evangelistic preaching conferences, etc. He also trained hundreds of young men and women to be missionaries/evangelists at 2 different Bible institutes. I could go on. There are people literally around the world right now who were trained by my father.
In the meantime, Mom (Vicky’s daughter) was at home raising 4 MK’s in Brazil and ministering in our local church and leading a ladies’ Bible study. She continues even to this day to teach and counsel women in the Atlanta area. Who can measure how much her influence has spread?
As a result of their influence (and Grandma Sweetman’s faithful prayers), God called me into “full-time” Christian service. I went to Moody and prepared for the mission field as well. My field is Christian education, and my wife and I spent 14 years in Brazil as missionaries. I have had the privilege of teaching and training thousands of young people over the last 27 years as a youth pastor, teacher, guidance counselor, principal and now head of school. Many of my students are now serving the Lord around the world as well!
Have you ever heard of me? Have you seen my parents on the nightly news? Had you heard of Grandma Sweetman before Tim mentioned her? Most likely not. But that’s OK, because we are not here to be known or put on a pedestal. We are here to be useful vessels for God. Yes, sticks of God.
Remember what God said about Moses in Hebrews 11:26? “He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of great value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.” Not a mansion or a crown, but the privilege of bowing at His feet and hearing Him say, “well done.”
Tim, and all of you, carry on the torch!
August 30th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Oh wow! So motivating! I want to be the Lord’s ready and willing stick!
September 4th, 2008 at 11:46 am
Hello Alex and brett. Would you be so kindo to add my blog to your rebelutionaries list?
God bless!
September 10th, 2008 at 9:56 am
I am only three chapters into the book, and I’m already loving it!
October 9th, 2008 at 7:24 am
Wow! That is so convicting! I struggle with the same thing, feeling like I have no talent and that I just wasn’t born to do anything, but I guess I just have to keep reminding myself I’m not living for me; I’m living for God and I need to do what He wants me to do with my life. It’s cool to read how everyone makes a difference. I just hope I’ll be able to do something like that!!!