Working With Whatever You Have

Sometimes we all feel overwhelmed.  Rich and poor, highly educated and barely educated, small organizations and large organizations; all feel overburdened and overworked at times.  This is especially true when we try to measure our worth or success by unreasonable and unbiblical standards.  There are always those ready to tell us where we don’t measure up and that what we have is too little to make any difference at all. 

However, the Bible tells a different story.  The Bible is filled with stories of women, men, teens, and children who make a difference in God’s mission by simply making available what they have. 

Major reforms in society and in the Church are often started and greatly assisted by seemingly insignificant people who just give what they have. 

God seems to delight in working with whatever we have to give in order to bring about change in the world and to further His redemptive mission. 

God sent His Son, not as someone who was the most marketable, the wealthiest, or the most successful by the world’s standards.  Instead, this One from a poor, oppressed, out of the way place turned out to be the savior of the world.  And those with whom Jesus surrounded Himself – including poor, sometimes uneducated, often “insignificant” people – changed the world. 

May the voices that are telling us that we are not enough or that we cannot make a difference be drowned out by the marvelous grace and power of God, who has always chosen to bring about redemptive change by simply asking us to give Him whatever we have…and let Him do the rest.

A prayer to start the week:

Heavenly Father, whose blessed Son came not to be served
but to serve: Bless all who, following in His steps, give
themselves to the service of others; that with wisdom,
patience, and courage, they may minister in His name to the
suffering, the friendless, and the needy; for the love of Him
who laid down his life for us, your Son our Savior Jesus
Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
(from The Book of Common Prayer)

Charles W. Christian is managing editor of Holiness Today.

Written for devotions with Holiness Today. 

Please note: All facts, figures, and titles were accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of original publication but may have since changed.