What Has God Asked You to Do?

“’We have only five loaves of bread and two fish,’ they answered. ‘Bring them to me,’ he said.”(Matt. 14:17-18 NIV)

I’m often tempted to think I have to do something big for God to prove my worth. I look around and see many other people living fully in their callings of sharing their walk with God to large audiences. It can lull me into the belief that living large is the only way to be fruitful, despite the fact that God didn’t give me the personality to live wide open like that, sharing my whole life loud and proud. The idea of letting everything hang out for strangers to see terrifies me. I’m not equipped for that much spotlight. But because that’s the most obvious example, I begin to think it’s the only right way.

Deep down, I know there are many others like me, people whose influence is much smaller, mainly in the tens of people, possibly hundreds on a good day. The enemy wants me to think that my small platform is meaningless, and that I shouldn’t even bother because the results of my efforts are probably miniscule. His tactic is to convince me to compare myself to the mega influencers. He conveniently leaves out facts such as the number of years these people have worked to reach their current level of influence or that I don’t actually want to be as well-known as them. My goals do not include becoming a household name, but the enemy tries to tell me that being popular is the only way to influence others.

The Scripture above reminds me that I am not responsible for the results of my efforts. My part is to bring what I have to Jesus. He has a purpose for the tasks he assigns me. Jesus wants me to surrender what he has given me back to him, in order that he might display his power and possibly perform a miracle for all who are present.

How am I to truly know whether my words are meaningless or meaningful? By sharing my story, I provide the opportunity for someone else to see their own life reflected back to them, which can lead to them feeling seen, known, and less alone. I can’t count the number of times I’ve read or heard someone else’s story and found solidarity in shared experiences. If one person is impacted by my words, then I should consider it a success.

Scripture gives many examples of people who shared what they had and then watched God multiply the results beyond anything they could have imagined. The woman at the well told her whole town that Jesus knew her past and yet still loved her. Many people returned to the well with her because of her testimony, met Jesus, and then believed for themselves.

A boy in a crowd of thousands offered up his meal of five loaves of bread and two fish to Jesus. Jesus blessed it and the result was that every single person was fed, with leftovers to boot. The boy’s faith was strengthened that day along with that of thousands of other people.

Like the man who was cured of his demon possession, we’re all charged to tell others how much God has done for us. Our experiences with Jesus, small as well as big, fill us with hope and joy and leak out into our relationships with others. Let’s all bring what we have to God—our hurts, our joys, our newfound freedoms, and our gifts—and let him multiply them into something greater that reaches those who need it most.

Lord, thank you for the reminder that you are in charge of results. You don’t ask us to pull off a miracle. You only ask for what we have and invite us to give it to you. You have a purpose for our gifts and our spheres of influence, no matter how small. Help us to trust your methods and your plans and walk in faithful obedience each day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Scripture for Reflection

“The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return home and tell how much God has done for you.’ So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.” (Luke 8:38-39 NIV)

“Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I ever did.’ So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with him, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers. They said to the woman, ‘We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.’” (John 4:39-42 NIV)

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” (1 Peter 5:8-9 NIV)

Reach for More

Have you seen something God asked you to do have a greater influence than you anticipated? Is there an area of your life where you feel like the enemy is trying to discourage you? Write down what God has asked you to do and trust that his purposes will prevail. Share your experience of Jesus’ work in your life with another person.

Megan Byrd is a mother of two who loves reading, writing, traveling, and introverting. When she’s not at a class at the gym, she can either be found perusing used book stores for great deals or exploring her new town of Asheville, NC. She is the author of Between Us Girls and can be found chronicling her reading journey @meganbyrdreads on Instagram or writing about life at meganbyrd.net.

Photograph © Isaac Mehegan, used with permission