Blog

Written by Lisa Mason
on 14th February 2022

Last Tuesday, during our DMM training, we spent the evening talking about having a big end vision for what God could do in and through us here in Bradford as we seek to be obedient to God's word, make disciples and search for people of peace.

As we have prayed for and researched about our city, God has opened our eyes again to the needs around us. There is so much potential for the transforming power of his kingdom to have far reaching effects here as we continue to pray and seek him.

This all feels so very big. The needs of our city can feel completely overwhelming, and we can begin to wonder how we can possibly 'do' enough for God's kingdom to come. But there is a paradox at work here. Yes. God is big. Yes. He has a big vision for our city. And yes. We are really small. Yes. We are limited humans with limited capacity.

God doesn’t need us to get bigger in order to see lives transformed in this city. He only asks that we keep bringing our little selves before him, with our eyes and ears open to do what he is asking us to do.

Perhaps the picture of an orchestra is a helpful illustration - there is not a single instrument that can play every part of an orchestral piece or a single musician who can make every sound that needs to be made simultaneously. Each musician follows their own line of music, with their eyes on the conductor who will bring everyone together in perfect harmony.

This past week, as I have sought to listen to God’s voice, I have done some very tiny things. I pulled the car over to phone a friend (who didn’t answer) only to bump into her later that day, the conversation wonderfully opened by my earlier call.

I shared a bible story with a new connection, and the next day I found out that our daughters have already befriended one another at school.

These things are very small. There have been many moments when I have missed or ignored God’s prompting, I have more stories of my disobedience and the amazing opportunities that have passed me by. (I’m not publishing them online but feel free to ask me over a cuppa if those would encourage you too!) Every day brings fresh grace and mercy and a chance to start again.

It is so important to dream big, to have a huge vision that only God can fill. Our next step is not to become big ourselves but to learn to be faithful in the small, everyday things that God asks us to do. We follow his lead in the connections we make and trust him to orchestrate all these things to work together for his glory and our good. When I close my eyes, I can almost see it, this living network of connections that God is weaving around us as we keep looking for opportunities to pass on all that we are learning in God’s word. Our DMM coach frequently reminds us that we cannot measure success in numbers or stories. ‘Faithfulness is success’ he instructs us.

So lets each be faithful in the little opportunities God brings us this week to listen and follow him. Trusting that God sees the whole score and that the small part we play is beautiful in his ears.