I click on the World Meters page and watch the numbers rise and fall before my eyes. Over 7 billion people on the planet. 119,439 births and 83,458 deaths so far today. Woah. And there’s only One who has every hair on every head numbered. Only One who welcomes each person to earth and watches over their last breath. Only One.
You see, we can never be big. Only God is big.
And we can never be small. Because God says we matter.
We tend to get so focused on size in this world. How many Facebook friends do we have, how many people came to our party, how many contributed to our cause? We have arbitrary numbers chosen in our mind that mean “big” and others that mean “small.” And all the while God shakes His head with a bemused smile and says, “That’s not what it’s about at all.”
Because whenever we label something “big” or “small” it’s always a comparison to something else. Comparison is dangerous because it’s about more or less. It pushes us either toward pride or insecurity. And all the while the One who made us is trying to remind our hearts, “I don’t compare you with anyone. And I alone am beyond compare.”
You can give a hug to one person or a speech to one million and it’s all the same to God if your heart is doing it as an act of worship.
I am not big.
You are not big.
I am not small.
You are not small.
And the same goes for anything and everything we do.
So when we feel the pressure to be “big” in some way, we can remind ourselves that God alone gets to claim that word. And when we face the temptation to feel small, we can remind ourselves that every hair on our heads is numbered by a wild and glorious God.
You can let go of “big” as well as “small” and instead simply be.
Be loved.
Be known.
Be certain that your worth is beyond measure.
by Holley Gerth, author of the new You’re Already Amazing LifeGrowth Guide
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Holley,
Oh now craftily the enemy sucks us into the deadly comparison game. We equate success and failure with “big” and “small” when real “success” is just being who we are…created in God’s image…and loved beyond measure. Just be – no bigger, smaller, smarter, prettier. There is no comparison in just “being”. If having a relationship with God is good enough for God, then it’s good enough for me. Great reminder!
Blessings,
Bev
What lovely truth – and a reminder that the God who holds the universe together is also actively involved with every atom. I love pondering the idea that each of us is an individual to Him.
Holley, thank you for this beautiful posting today. I praise the Lord that His timing is perfect with this, that He reaches out to remind me that He has fearfully and wonderfully made me, that He chose to make me, and that means He loves me with a breadth, height, width I can’t comprehend. I so needed this today 🙂 May each of us know His beautiful love that is higher than the heavens as His beloved people 🙂
I literally just looked in the restroom mirror on my way out the door and said, your really too big, you need to lose weight so more people will want to do business with you. Oh, the things we tell ourselves. But God gently reminded me He loves me just as I am and others will too. Thank you for this post today. God confirming to me that it is Him speaking to my heart and not my mind trying to console me. I am His and He loves me!
Remember, God looks at your heart. Way too many women struggle with this, it used to bother me because I would hear people talking about how much weight they needed to lose, and there I was heavier. They are just wrapped up in their own self doubts. Ladies, please, look at yourselves through the eyes of someone who loves you! Your will reflect His beauty.
Thank you Rebecca! So true! I am working to reflect His light and love. I guess I should look at it, more me to let light and love out. And not reflect on myself but focus my thoughts on Him. Have a blessed day!
Oh what a beautiful post! Thank you!!
Holley, such beautiful, hope-filled truth here. I’ve found that when I focus on the numbers, I am, to a degree looking to see if I am significant-enough. If I am enough.
And the thing is, we are enough. We are God’s.Numbers don’t matter. I’ve walked the comparison-leading-to-insecurity road and it’s all a slippery uphill, muddy climb. You can’t get very far before you fall backward.
I love that we don’t have to be big, or small. We can just be. Because we BElong to God. I love your final three “Be’s.”
I needed this post heading into the weekend. Thank you!
I am asking for prayer from all those who are in the blog and read Holly’s emails. I’ve been unemployed for 21 months and my savings are dwindling. I’m having a hard time not living in fear. I’m having a hard time trusting that God is truly watching out for me and will take care of all my physical needs. Please pray for me because I know that prayer is extremely powerful especially if it is more than two who gather together. Thank you and God bless all of you.
Rob,
I’m deeply sorry to hear of what you are going through. I pray that all will be well with you.
Penny
Thank you and God bless you.
Praying for you Rob. Stay in faith. Read daily devotions. Tell the Lord you are counting on Him. Thank Him in advance for finding you a great job. You do your part in searching for the job, He will do His part in opening doors. It will happen!!
God Bless You! NEVER GIVE UP!!!!!!
Thank you for your positive, uplifting message. Please continue to hold me in prayer.
Praying for you!
Thank you, Linda. God bless you.
Less of me more of Him and I do not need big, for He is El Shaddai the All Sufficient One! Amen! Help me Lord to live this truth! Amen!
Wow! Such enlightening words today. Such truths! I loved the encouragement today!
Thanks so much for hearing what you should put down on paper that encourages each of us reading it.
Blessings!
What a much needed reminder today.
Wonderful, Holley. Numbers is NOT what it’s all about–at all. And whether we give hugs or speeches, it doesn’t matter–if it’s done with a heart of worship. Thank you for these wise words that provide uplift and a refocusing of our attitudes.
Thank you Holley & thank all of you who commented because even your comments are encouraging to me Will be praying that God will provide you with that Perfect job Rob God bless you all
Holly,
Your post really was a comfort to read. Thank-you so much for taking the time to share it with us.
Have a blessed day,
Penny
Holley,
The enemy would like nothing else but for us to compare ourselves and be upset/anxious about it. With God there is no comparison–He made us in His image and said “Very Good”. We should remember that only He is big and we matter to Him–enough that He would die for us!! Think of yourself as a beloved Child of God and don’t let this world & it’s statistics get you down.
Blessings 🙂
Loved this post! God doesn’t look at BIG OR small, he knows our hearts.
Praying for you Rob, read scriptures and devotions and seek job opportunities. God will answer in his time and his will. Remember God takes care of the sparrows and us too!
I was struggling with feeling insignificant because I’ve been sick far too long. I don’t have a community of friends nor a family that shares their feelings.
God doesn’t want us to feel too big or too small.Both are deadly. When we put ourselves above the fray, we believe we can walk right into sin and believe it’s okay!
On the other hand, if we struggle with a wrong sense of self, God, others, have had too many seasons of darkness, we feel small. Infinitesimal.
I am remined of a line from “The Incredible Shrinking Man” when he realized that that he would continue to shrink until he was out of human view:
“No one is unimportant to God no matter how small he becomes to the human eye. It was then that he stopped worrying about finding the solution to shrinking.
If that worked for him, I must lean on that for me. Some of us are invisible because we weigh “too much” by this world’s or even the Church’s standards. Are we ever just ACCEPTABLE.
Yes. In Jesus. Loved in Beloved.
Reading your posts always inspire me, Holley. It reminds me of the truth that I tend to forget. We are more precious than silver or gold, because we are God’s precious ones.
Thank you Holly! I really needed this today.