Mark 4:24-25
When
I was growing up I often wondered why my older siblings got larger portions of
food. I didn’t mind when they received larger helpings of liver or brussel
sprouts, but I wanted just as much ice cream as they were getting. Portion
sizes did matter to me. I am the fourth of five children. In my young mind I
didn’t factor in their larger size and increased calorie needs. I just wanted
an equal portion of ice cream. I didn’t want a proportionally sized portion.
If
you had asked be to scoop out portions of ice cream to each member of my
family, I can almost bet I would have given myself more than my siblings. But
if my mom had told me I could give each person only one scoop, either a small
scoop or a large scoop, I would have chosen a large scoop. I wanted lots of ice
cream for myself. But if I was mad at my brothers, I might have chosen a
smaller scoop even if it meant I also received a smaller portion.
Spiritual
growth comes proportionally. If you only take in little bite sized pieces of
spiritual food, and only practice 20 minute spiritual workouts of obedience, you
will only get a little spiritual growth. If you avail yourself of God’s grace
to a great degree, then God’s grace is available to you in a great degree. But
if you are into “check the box” religiosity, then you will have a “check the
box” spiritual life.
I
want the LORD to be able to work powerfully in and through my life. So I am
trying to be liberal with His grace toward others. I am trying to reflect what
He has done in my life as I deal with other people. I am trying to recognize
His grace in all its forms in my life so that I can recognize His grace in the
lives of others. I am trying to be generous with my life, time, finances and
talents so that they can become vehicles for the LORD to work through. I have
to admit, I am not completely successful at each of the endeavors.
I
want to use a big scoop in life, both to myself and to others. It can be very
difficult if we feel we have been given a small scoop by others or by life
itself. I am glad that I recognize the HUGE scoop the LORD has used in my life.
His mercies are very evident in my life, and I am thankful for them.
Remember,
the agricultural society in which Jesus lived. There was market day
buying and selling of goods which would have used measuring devices. There was
no government certification of the scales used. If you could figure out a way
to cheat your customers without them knowing, you could do it without fear of a
fine.
Decline in faith comes from decline in
reading, hearing and obeying God’s Word. We choose the scoop size used in
eternity.
What
size scoop are you going to use in your life?