A few months ago, while at CYC in Gatlinburg, we heard many great lessons. One of the speakers talked about the idea of being a part of grand traditions. He brought up the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000. In John’s account, he points out that there was a boy with a small lunch:
“Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” (John 6:9).
The disciples are perplexed by the fact that they didn’t have enough to feed such a large crowd. Jesus, however, had a plan and chose to use what the boy had to show love and kindness to so many. One of the significant points Brad Montague was trying to point out was that the King can use whoever He desires to accomplish his will.
Many of us, including myself, sometimes struggle when we think about the great mission we have been given by God. We are called to live faithfully with him, constantly growing and learning while sharing with others what we have been given. The early disciples struggled with this as well. So often, we put the pressure of doing everything on our own shoulders. However, this was never meant to be the case. We are called to be like the little boy who gave up his lunch. We are never meant to be the King; we are meant to know the King and carry the lunch box.
God can take what little we have and give so many what they need. We carry this tradition of simply knowing without having to be the King. You and I belong to the grand tradition of carrying Jesus and a lunch box. Don’t focus on what you can’t do; focus on what you can do if you trust in Him and do your part.