How much good can one pot of soup do? Or one loaf of bread? How can something so ordinary and small be important? How can it do important Kingdom work and point to Jesus?
Small and Humble Acts
I don’t know if you have ever doubted your purpose, or asked yourself if what you were doing was enough to further God’s Kingdom, but I know I sure have. It is so easy to dismiss the small things in life in search of the big flashy moments and miracles. It is easy to get caught up in the big rock star moments where you may lead an entire auditorium to Christ, or you start a church-wide ministry. Who wouldn’t want to do that? I guess it is only human nature to be excited by the big and the bold. Yet where does that leave the small and humble acts?
The Small Things
I often find myself thinking about the small ordinary human things that Jesus did during his time on earth. One of those human things that he did very often was to eat and share food. In fact, Jesus ate and drank so much that he mentions being criticized for it, “The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’” (Luke 7:34).
Heavenly Nourishment
God doesn’t do anything accidentally. Jesus chose to share meals with others because it was important to his mission. Sharing a meal, providing physical sustenance as well as heavenly nourishment was something that was deeply intertwined for Jesus in his ministry. He met people in those moments and real lives were changed, community was created, and a new covenant was made, all around a table.
Acts of Love
I feel strongly that my mission is to make and share food with others as an act of love. I think of sharing food as physical comfort meant to echo and point to Jesus, and I have a passion for doing this that could only come from God.
A Faith Workout
This passion always brings me back to the pot of soup or the loaf of bread I mentioned earlier. Yes, I could tie myself up in knots of self-doubt about what sharing food could accomplish for God, and I freely admit that I have done that from time to time. Yet, being given a mission where I question the importance of my role may be just the faith workout I need.
Show up and Serve
When I face these moments, I remind myself that in God’s economy small and humble can lead to big results because God himself is the X factor. My job is to follow Jesus’ example, to show up, and serve, and let God handle the rest of the story. After all, He has been writing it from the beginning, and whether my loaf will feed 5000 or just one hungry soul, God has the plan.
