It Doesn't Take Much
John D. Telgren


Smack! The basball hit me square in the temple. I was just walking across the playground that afternoon in 1978 and didn’t see it coming. I felt my glasses break on the impact. All of a sudden, I couldn’t see anything. The next thing I knew, the kids on the playground surrounded me. There was so much confusion and commotion; I didn’t know what was going on at first. I began to realize that I was being half carried and half dragged across the playground. I couldn’t get them to turn me loose. There were so many of them. I found myself in the nurses office who had me lie down on the bed so she could tend to the wound I was just beginning to become aware of. She put a patch over my eye. I looked down after she was done. There was blood everywhere. I began to panic. Did that baseball take my eye out? She told me that the injury was rather minor and that I should not worry.

Later on, I found out that all kinds of rumors circulated around the school about me. Some said that I had my eye gouged out. If course, the injury was nothing more than a very small cut just above my eyelid. The blood had run down over my eye and all over my face making it look like a very, very serious injury.

It doesn’t take a whole lot to cause a great big mess. Being negligent with things that seem small and insignificant can have a huge impact. For instance, neglecting something as simple as regular prayer can make a mess of our spiritual strength. Neglecting a regular reading of the Bible can cause crash and burn for our walk with God. Neglecting fellowship with the brethren can cause a downward spiral in our strength. Not giving attention to service and ministry can cause atrophy in our spiritual muscles.

On the other hand, you could turn the lesson on its head. Doing something that seems small and insignificant can have a great, positive impact. For instance, giving and encouraging word can give enough strength to overcome a hard week. A simple phone call can help keep a brother or sister from falling away. A hug can empower someone to become more kind. Asking a simple question, such as, “If the Lord were to come right now, do you know for sure that you would go to Heaven to be with Him?” could lead to the salvation of a dear friend.

It doesn’t take much. God has always delighted in the few, small, and insignificant. He defeated the Midianite army with Gideon and only 300 men. He defeated a giant enemy with a young lad. He spread the Gospel to the whole world with nothing more than a small band of 12 men who had nothing more in common with each other except their faith in Jesus. Through the message he left them, they impacted the entire world. One person and God make a majority. It doesn’t take much when God is on your side. Even if your faith is as small as a grain of salt, God will multiply it a thousand times over.