“He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much”

(Luke 16:10, NASB).

I was a brand new Christian when I first heard the saying, “Bloom where you’re planted; maybe God will move you to a bigger pot.” I smiled at the imagery but really didn’t get it. Now, nearly forty years later, it is one of my most often shared pieces of advice.

Because I teach at women’s retreats and writers’ conferences, I meet a lot of Christians at various stages of their spiritual walk who are up against some tough circumstances. (Yeah, I know. When I was a new believer I thought all that would go away too.) What I hear most often is, “All I want to do is serve God, but how can I do it when 1) I don’t have any money; 2) my family is falling apart; 3) my health is so bad,” etc.

My heart goes out to these people, and I totally relate because I’ve asked the same questions over the years—many times. But the bottom line is this: Those very questions imply that God has called us to serve Him and then allowed us to get mired down in circumstances that prevent us from doing so. If only He would get busy and blast us out of those negative situations and flood us with blessings and provision, THEN we could serve Him effectively!

Really? Probably not. As Jesus indicated in Luke 16:10, it is those who serve God under the most adverse of circumstances, often with little or no provision beyond their passion to reach the lost with the unconditional love of Christ, who would also serve God effectively if their problems suddenly disappeared and they were inundated with God’s blessings.

“Bloom where you’re planted.” Don’t like where you’re planted? Pot too small, too constricting, too invisible? Take it up with the Gardener who knows exactly what He’s doing—and why. Meanwhile, bloom in the Light of His love, regardless of how dark it seems around you, and others will be drawn to that Light. And isn’t that the purpose of all we do, no matter the size of the pot?

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