A boy and his importance in the kingdom of God

Have you ever felt that you are too unimportant or ordinary to make a difference?   Maybe it’s time to think again.

 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”  Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). John 6:9-10

When you read the story of Jesus’ miraculous feeding of the 5000 people with bread and fish, you may notice that only the men are counted.  Yet it was a boy, who wasn’t even counted, that supplied the basic bread and fish for Jesus to miraculously multiply.    

This boy isn’t named and most probably felt that he was just another kid in a village.  However, he stepped up, offered what he had, and in doing so played a huge part in enlarging the kingdom of God.

So next time you feel ordinary, remember this boy and then remind yourself that no one is too unimportant to make a difference in the kingdom of God. 

Do It Afraid

‘But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.”‘ Matthew 17:7

1n the 80's, DC Talk, a Christian pop group sang “What if I stumble, what if I fall, what if I lose my step and make fools of us all?”  Can you relate to that?  I can.

On many occasions, I have felt so gripped by fear that I can't move.  My instincts tell me that I do nothing; I can’t fail and can’t fall.

However, I have also found there are blessings hidden in every struggle, and triumphs in every fear that is faced, even when the biggest triumph is doing something instead of doing nothing.

Joyce Meyer is quoted as saying “Just because you feel fear, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it.  Just do it afraid.”

Sometimes you have to stop worrying about falling, take a deep breath, put your best foot forward and ‘just do it afraid’.

Who knows, maybe the fact you are afraid means something big is going to happen.

It could also be why Jesus said “Fear not!” just before he performed a miracle or taught about the Kingdom of God.