They say bigger is better. They lied. Bigger is harder.
Five years ago, God gave me sixteen students, twelve families. Although Covid meant everything was turned upside down, our little family group felt good. Easy. Year two brought growth, which was exciting. Then year three brought more growth. Year four…more growth. Year five…even more.
I absolutely love our families, so please hear that, and please read on to the end. But if I can have an honest ‘flesh’ moment, bigger is indeed harder. It means more administrative tasks. More staff. More financial needs. More students who each need and deserve a wide array of things from us. More work to oversee. More building needs. More prayer needs. More, more, more, and the days seem to never end, or rather end too quickly with not enough accomplished. More means just what it implies. More.
But God.
John 3:30~ “He must become greater; I must become less.”
132 students, 82 families. It’s more than we ever dreamed. With it indeed comes more, but I get to choose what I focus on ‘more.’ Do I focus on the ‘mores’ of the flesh, or the ‘mores’ of the Spirit?
We have more students and families praying for one another. We have more opportunities for big breakthroughs. We have more staff to help each other along. We have more opportunities to witness in our communities. We have more love stemming from our larger well to pour out on the nations. We have more funds from which to pull. We have more of Him flowing among us. Perhaps most importantly for me, I have more reliance on Him instead of me, and He is always greater; I must always become less.
You see, the more we have grown, the more I go to Him because I simply cannot do this on my own. I am forced to abide in the Spirit when the task is too big for my flesh. Grant Partrick once said, “God always gives us assignments that are over our head.” This is so true. This assignment is way over my head; each day I desperately need more of Him. Actually, I don’t just need more of Him. I need Him most. And so do you.
When they say bigger is better, they do indeed lie. With bigger comes more, but you and I don’t need more. We need most. We need Him.
If God is what I need most, and God is bigger than anything I face, then bigger really isn’t better; Bigger is Best.
Thanks, MIIIA family, for helping me get more of Him every day through your words and deeds and love. It truly does make this thing we steward the absolute very Best.
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