"Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people." (Luke 9:16, NIV) Nothing in this life is ever enough. Our money, our time, our talent, our education, our educations... are never enough. They can only take us so far. But when we add another flavour to these "littles", they become not just sufficient but surplus. In today's lesson, we see how Jesus lays down the principle for turning our little into surplus. No matter how little what you have is, if you can apply the principles with which Jesus turned a little boy's lunch into a feast for thousands; then you will be able to survive and thrive on what you have. Nothing we have is enough; but there is definitely a way for transforming our little into surplus..
1. Taking the five loaves and the two fishes: The first thing Jesus did was to take the five loaves and the two fishes. To begin turning your little into surplus, you must first acknowledge what you have. You must take it. You must acknowledge it. You must decide to use it. If you keep ignoring what you have because it is small, you will never get to use it
2. Looking up to heaven: While acknowledging what you have you must make sure that your eyes are fixed to heaven. In other words, you have to be dependent on God and not on what you have... not on your talent, or money or whatever little thing you have. Realize that God is the source and from whom all subsistence flow.
3. He gave thanks, and broke them: Now, what you have will never yield increase until you break it. That is until you put it to work. If you have talent, train it, stretch it, groom it. If you have money, invest it.. whatever little you have has to be broken, cultivated, groomed so that it can grow. And you have to do this while giving thanks. You have to do this without complaining or feeling bad about it. you have to do it passionately and heartily. Give thanks and break them!
4. Distribute to the people. Pass it on to people. Let people see it after it is trained. Don't be shy or afraid to let people see what you have got. Don't be afraid of criticism or of failure. Let the people see what you have.
God bless you!