Does size matter?

Have you ever been bit by the Bigness Bug?
In our minds we often equate BIGness with success . Others equate BIGness with badness, as in God doesn't like big things. I'm not saying either one, in fact that type of thinking drives me crazy. What bites me is when I start comparing my little things to others big things. It would be easy to be a hater on big things... but what really hits home with me is the obsessive desire to be BIG that leaves me frustrated when things are small. When you boil it down it is a desire for bigness.

I'm not sure when it happened in my life. Maybe when I reached full stature at 5' 2". Maybe its when I realized I would not be a millionaire by 30. But there has been a knawing desire to be a part of something big. And part of it is I think that bigger is better... not that I should, but deep down I think I do. But that can have a deviously wicked effect on the soul, especially in the area of contentment. So I regularly need to be reminded that "size doesn't matter" when it comes to God. Because BIGness envy affects more than men looking for greater sexual pleasure.

Here's how the bug bites me. I see how big things are out there and I look at how small they are in my world and I wonder why I am not as successful. In fact, you know what my most unproductive days have been? They are the days where I jump from web-site to web-site and blog to blog, ooohing and aaahhing over how big, slick and successful THEY are in comparison to how small and average my stuff is.

Since that is quite a depressing way to live I regularly need comfort and encouragement from voices which rebuke my tendency to fall into a "size matters" mentality. For example I recently came across this quote from Richard W. Shelley, Jr. ....

"A desire for bigness has hurt many folks... The secret of greatness rather than bigness is to acclimate oneself to one's place of service and be true to one's own convictions. A life of this kind of service will forever remain the measure of oneÂ’s true greatness."

Maybe a switch from bigness to greatness is a needed correction. I also found some solace in Bill Hybels work Courageous Leadership where he reminds leaders of Paul's words in the Bible to "fulfill your ministry" (2 Tim 4:5). He then goes on to say "Fulfill your ministry- nothing more, nothing less."

Those words are like a fresh spring breeze to my soul. It reminds me that greatness in God's eyes is doing my best at the task that he gave to me. For me that means being a leading and loving husband. It means fathering my two boys and launching them into life. It means building my identity upon who I am in Christ. And it means being the best singles pastor that I can be, no matter how big or small my ministry is.

You know I think size matters, but its not the size of your parts or your church or your business, but its the size of your faithfulness to do what God has asked you to do. Sleep well and don't let the BIG bugs bite.