Small to Great

Small to Great God on Monday
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‘No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the ancestor of a multitude of nations’ (Genesis 17.5).

Reflection

Recently I watched a documentary about the coronation of King Charles III. It showed how the oil for his anointing came from the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, from trees that dated back almost to the time of Christ.

It got me thinking. Impressive buildings like the Parthenon in Athens and the Colosseum in Rome have decayed, yet these unassuming trees have survived intact.

The Bible invites us to take the long view when we consider our lives. In the passage above God tells Abraham that he has made him the ancestor of many nations. In his lifetime, Abraham did not see this come to pass. He only saw - eventually - the start of this promise. But he caught a glimpse of God’s plans to bless all people of the world and the role that his faith (however small) would play in this.

While the power structures of the world can seem daunting, God calls us to see things from a new perspective. The potential of an enormous tree contained in a tiny mustard seed is the image Jesus used to depict the power of even the smallest amount of faith.

When we allow ourselves to be ‘found’ by God, even if our response is the weakest ‘yes’, God does more than we can imagine. God is in the business of taking our puny amounts of faith and turning them into great blessings that can reverberate well beyond our lifetimes.

Response

In the ordinary everyday parts of our lives, is there a step of faith we can make, however small? It can be difficult for us to be as explicit about our faith in our work as we would like. But there are few limits to us acting (implicitly) on our faith at work. Be assured that this will - eventually - bring great blessings.

Prayer

Lord, help me to take a small step of faith today. May it lead to the growth of a strong tree that provides protection, joy, and nourishment for many. Help me to take the long view in life. Thank you that my small acts of faith will bring blessing to people beyond my own circle and times. Amen.

This Week's Author

Lara Buchanan, Mediator, Society of Mediators

God on Monday is produced in partnership with the Church of England. The reflections are based on the scriptural readings designated for the next Sunday in the Church's lectionary. You can sign up to Faith in Business here to receive each God on Monday instalment.

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