SOMETIMES we think in small circles. We think of ourselves, family, and friends. We naturally focus on what’s near to us. And that’s good. It’s important to nurture your inner circle. It requires attention and care.
But what happens if you think bigger — much bigger even? It starts by knowing this: your place in this universe is unique and unrepeatable.
This doesn’t mean you’re at the center of everything. It doesn’t all depend on you. Some might live and think that way, and their egocentric habits hurt those around them.
Meanwhile, others might feel like they are insignificant and that their life has little meaning. But even though no one is all important, every life carries a cosmic impact. Does this sound like an exaggeration to you?
In the eyes of our heavenly Father, each one of his children has profound importance. He never ignores you or abandons you — instead his love flows freely to you. God pours out his Spirit over each and every one of his children.
So think big. Never underestimate the power of God’s reality.
How many occupy your inner circle, that is, your closest family and friends? Two, five, ten people? Remember, each one of them has their own circle too. So if the ten in your inner group each have ten close contacts, that’s 100 people that your life might impact in a very direct way.
Then if each of those 100 has ten, then the influence spreads to 1000. And when this interaction involves a child of God, full of his Spirit, it must reach cosmic levels of importance.
Then even humble gestures of kindness can be used to spread joy and save souls. A tiny prayer — prayed with deep sincerity — can move mountains. And when an entire community comes together in this way, a multitude of lives can be saved and changed forever.
Still, there are some who live a truly hard existence. Some realities are extremely difficult, even horrific. Where is God in these situations? Is he absent? Does he even care? The reality is that those extreme cases contain the greatest potential impact of all.
It’s the single mom raising a bunch of kids with great care and courage.
It’s the faithful son, all alone, caring for his sick mother or father.
It’s the troubled parent or spouse praying fervently for their loved one who can’t seem to find their way.
It’s the person for whom each day staying sober and clean is a celebration.
It’s the persecuted, abused, and enslaved somehow maintaining hope that shines like a brilliant star in the darkest night.
In these apparently insignificant or meaningless realties, the human spirit burns brightly for all to see.
You might say that for those who suffer, it’s not much of a consolation. But the world won’t offer any either. And many of these saints and martyrs have come to know the Lord in a way the rest of will never comprehend.
When someone’s faith enables them to rise above the struggle and pain, it can inspire many — maybe even millions or billions of people.
It’s Christ on the cross giving himself up into the hands of his Father — knowing that on the third day the full glory of God will be revealed.
So think big. Pay attention to the details. Move forward with a heavenly vision. Take it seriously and live it full of joy.
You never know how much impact your life will have upon the cosmos.
. . . . . . .
And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
Mark 4:30-32
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