By: Lauren Thomas
Have you ever had one of those weeks where you felt you gave it your all, but your all wasn’t enough?
A moment of complete transparency: this has been a week where I have questioned every parenting decision I’ve made, both in the moment and in retrospect. The noise in my head has been loud. Am I doing this right? Is this how it’s supposed to look? One person says this, another that, but what is right in this moment in this situation? Do I have what it takes to raise kids right in a world gone wrong? Saturday night, as I washed bottles to the parade of self-doubt and second-guessing, the unmistakable whisper of the Holy Spirit came.
Unmistakable, because His voice is like calm in a storm. He spoke the soothing truth I was desperate for:
Give the Lord what you have, and He will multiply it to be enough.
The account of the 5 loaves and 2 fish came to mind.
The account of Jesus feeding 5,000 with just 5 loaves and 2 fish occurs in every one of the four Gospels. In the accounts found in Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus asked his followers to feed the crowd.
When the Lord calls us to a big task, our contributions might seem small. They might seem barely sufficient for the need.
I think of parenting. I think of my jobs. I think of the dreams God has placed in my heart. How could I ever have success in any of these areas? Perhaps God isn’t asking me to be successful. Perhaps He is asking me to be obedient.
When we offer up what we do have, He is able to multiply it to be more than enough.
Matthew gives insight on what is required for the miracle:
16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.
18 “Bring them here to me,” he said.
Matthew 14:16-18 NIV
When we bring to Him what we do have, He provides the miracle.
So, Lord, I bring You what I have, though it feels like barely enough. I bring You my obedience. It seems so small. But You only ask that I bring it to You. You do the rest. Bless it and multiply it, Lord. And may there be plenty left over when all is said and done. Amen.
Reflection:
What are the “big tasks” God is calling you to? In what areas of your life do you feel that what you have to offer is “meager”?
Can you think of a situation in which you gave the Lord what you had to offer, and He made it enough?
Do you tend to offer your loaves and fishes first to God to bless? Or are you more likely to try to do it alone, feeding a multiple on a small lunch?
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