Starting With What's In Your Hand

Few of us understand the capacity within ourselves to influence and enhance the world just outside our door. With each interaction and word we speak, we influence, for good or bad. Then those people turn around and pass on that influence.

And so, with what seems like an insignificant decision or action, we can be builders of empires; empires of influence and impact.

There's an ancient story of a widow who ran out of money, and her sons were about to be taken away as slaves in payment for the family's debts. All she had was a nearly empty jar with a tiny bit of oil in it. The woman sought out a spiritual leader in her community and, as a test of faith and determination, encouraged her to reach out to her neighbors with one simple request…could she borrow an empty pitcher?

This made no sense, but she humbly did as the prophet suggested. Her neighbors lent her empty clay jars, then, supernaturally, God filled the jars with oil. The poor widow sold the oil, paid her debtors, and had enough money left over to support herself and her sons for the remainder of her life.
(This story is from the Bible, 2 Kings 4)

It started with a nearly-empty jar. And she added another empty jar...and then another. God filled what she had. Think about this: the widow determined how much she had, not God. She could have stopped at one jar, two jars, or ten jars. She kept going until they couldn't find any more jars. Where would you have stopped? What if you were her neighbor and friend…would you have lent her an empty jar or two?

Look at all the small decisions that led to a massive miracle and a dramatic alteration of the course of several lives:

1. No one thinks about the role of the neighbors. Her neighbors, by letting this woman borrow a jar, showed kindness and changed the course of her life. Imagine the ripple impact on the community!

2. This poor widow, by being humble enough to take the advice of a stranger and do something unusual, altered the course of her life and her sons.

3. The prophet, by being available and able to hear the voice of God, trusted the instructions given by God (Seriously, if you sensed God telling you to tell someone about to die of starvation and lose their sons to prison to go borrow jars from neighbors, would you do it? Just asking...)

What we think is too small or insignificant is mighty and effective in the hands of our God. You, my friend, by starting with what is available to you, just might influence the culture of the community around you—one jar or act of kindness at a time. ❤️