“Little Ministries” for a Lent of Little Things

This Lenten season I’ve tried to keep things simple. I haven’t given up using a pillow or eating bacon, and I haven’t gotten swept up in the newer trend of ‘adding something beneficial’ instead of taking away something superfluous, either. In fact, I probably haven’t been very visibly involved in this Lent at all, but as I mentioned in this post, I have been observing the season in my own way, with a Lent of Little Things.

I have a habit of getting wrapped up in equating my own worth with my ability to be productive, and often that leads down a road that ends exactly opposite from where God wants me!

Trusting not in our own righteousness but in Your manifold grace and mercies.

And the little things this Lent have been my way of acknowledging this truth. I cannot allow myself to get so wrapped up in my own imperfections that I fail to do anything at all for the kingdom. Surprisingly, it turns out that God is much less interested in watching me wallow in self-pity and doubt about being able to ‘do it all’ and much more interested in seeing me turn that responsibility over to Him, and embrace my ability to do something. I joked in my previous post at the beginning of the season that even if I couldn’t do all of the dishes, I could do some of the dishes, and that sums it up nicely.

Of course, human nature being what it is, there’s always the chance of slipping and falling into the habit of saying “I can’t do it all, and I won’t even do what little I can do.” Defeatism is from the enemy, remember this. God is not a defeatist! As my husband preached on Sunday: “We serve a God who doesn’t have a Plan B; He doesn’t need a Plan B.”

I feel as though this defeatist attitude has begun to influence us in the church even into our areas of ministry. We go to church with a vague ‘of course I’ll help out if I’m needed’ attitude, and then fall away from that the moment we step in the door. Do any of these excuses sound familiar?

Someone else is more qualified to do that than I am.

I give money every week for the running of the church; I don’t need to give my time, too.

Retired, young and childless people have more time anyway, let them take these things on.

I have a (insert medical problem) and so I can’t be expected to help out.

Oh, man, I’ve thought all of these things before! But if you plug in the ‘little things’ idea, what you get is a completely different picture!

Maybe I can’t find the time or energy to volunteer with the Sunday School, but I could make it a habit to buy them a set of juice boxes every week when I do my shopping.

Maybe I can’t get to church earlier than I already do to help set up for coffee time, but I could stay an extra 5 minutes after the service to wash up.

Maybe I can’t give much money, or even any money at this stage in my life, but what can I give? Can I offer someone a ride to church? Can I weed the flower bed outside the sanctuary? Can I bring a box of tea? Can I offer to hand out bulletins? Can I re-pot that droopy palm tree in the entryway?

God is NOT a defeatist, and neither should we be! This Sunday is the fifth and final Sunday of the season of Lent - is there something YOU could do this very day, this very minute, right now, that would glorify Him in word or deed?