I don’t know about you, but when I hear the word mustard seed my mind automatically goes to Matthew 17:20 and having faith as a grain of mustard seed. It’s preached about, written about in books and songs, and we can probably all quote the verse together.
That’s why, as I was reading the Word, I was reminded that there is another little parable about the mustard seed tucked into the gospels:
Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof (Matthew 13:31-32).
What a beautiful reminder of how much the little things matter.
It’s so easy to look at our day-to-day lives and believe the lie that we’re not doing anything important or significant in the Kingdom of God.
We wake up and launch into our normal routine, which may include school, work, our kids, housework, a coffee run, practice for church on Sunday, a trip to the grocery store, managing the budget, prepping for that Sunday school lesson, lunch, dinner — maybe a few snacks in between — time for family or friends . . . and then we head to bed so we can wake up and do it all over again.
We have big dreams and we want to change the world, but when it all boils down to day-to-day life, it can seem like we’re so busy with human responsibilities that we’re not contributing anything of value to the Kingdom.
I’m sure we can all do more. But, I want to remind you that the little things matter.
Jesus reminded us that the Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed.
It’s a little thing.
Yet, the farmer goes through the trouble of preparing the ground, planting the tiny, little seed, and then caring for it, all while having faith that it will grow into something so much bigger!
What are some of the little things you’re already doing?
It can be as “little” as sharing an encouraging word with the cashier at the grocery store, taking a meal to a family in need, or providing a listening ear for the coworker going through a difficult time.
Those things may seem little to us, but to God, they have the potential to grow into something amazing. They have the power to impact someone’s life, and they introduce those around you to the Jesus you follow every single day.
One important factor is our perspective.
We can’t look at the little things as if they are insignificant. If we do, we may brush off the divine nudging we feel to do something because we don’t think it’s that important.
What we do, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem to us, matters!
With this in mind, we will be more intentional about the little things. We’ll start recognizing more opportunities to do something that God can cause to bloom into something beautiful.
The little things matter.
Be faithful to the little things that God puts in your path and you will make the biggest impact on the Kingdom of God.