Choosing the Little Over the Bigness of God

Have you ever sensed God charging you to do something that was big and overwhelming?  He stirs a huge vision in your heart or fills you with a plan for something great. In those moments, you often need courage to trust that where God wants to send you is better than where you are. You might think to yourself, “Uhh…not me Lord. I’m not ready. What if I fail? Or worse, yet, what if I’m the wrong one?” You want to embrace the bigness of what God is doing, but you’re overwhelmed with what it might mean and what it might cost you. Consequently, you end up choosing the little.

Most of us can relate to the dilemma. We can believe in and love God, yet struggle in the difficult spaces that demand courage.

Choosing the little

The story of Lot’s family in Genesis 19 offers a lens into some of those same emotions. Lot and his family were saved from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.  The angels seized them to ensure they escaped Sodom’s imminent destruction (verse 16).  Lot hesitated in the moment. God sent deliverance for Lot and his family, yet, the angels dragged them out of Sodom. Lot was all too familiar with the depravity that surrounded him in Sodom. In fact, 2 Peter, chapter 2, reminds us Lot was a righteous man whose soul was tormented day after day by the lawlessness around him (2 Peter 2:7-8).

Yet, in a moment of divine deliverance, Lot hesitated. His rescue was the result of humble and intense intercession by his uncle, Abraham, on his behalf (Genesis 18:16-31). The extent to which God goes to save Lot’s life must not be overlooked. The Angels give specific instructions on the path of escape, the urgency of the moment, and the consequences if he doesn’t follow through. That’s why Lot’s next request is so confusing:

And Lot said to them, “Oh, no, my lords. Behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life. But I cannot escape to the hills, lest the disaster overtake me and I die. Behold, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there—is it not a little one?—and my life will be saved!” (Genesis 19:18-20 ESV)

The little city Lot wanted to escape to with his family was Zoar. The city’s name means little. Lot’s request is puzzling because his life was already saved. He and his family were outside of the city. He had already been spared the imminent destruction Sodom would experience. How could God not save him as he escaped to the mountains? After all of this, why would God not save him?

Perhaps the mountains loomed too large for Lot. It makes sense that he would be overwhelmed. Even after the magnificent love God shows on his behalf, Lot believes he would be overtaken by disaster and die if he goes where God says go. So, the Angels grant permission to escape to Zoar—the little place—and Lot avoids the hills of the mountains. He and his daughters stay in Zoar for a while, but they eventually leave because Lot was afraid to stay there. Instead, he moved into a cave with his two daughters. What happens next trumps any reality TV series that has ever hooked you into binge watching. In the darkness of cave life, the outcome of vexed lives revealed its ugliness. I’ll write more about the impact of this particular choice on Lot’s family in a future post.

When I choose little

Before I  head too far down the path of judgment about Lot and his choices, let me acknowledge that I often choose the little over the bigness of God, too. Frankly, it’s a lot more common in my life than I care to admit. I have dreams in my heart that I feel are clearly from the Lord. Yet, instead of leaning into those grand dreams and trusting the Lord to take me to those places,  I choose the little options.

I don’t know what choosing the little looks like for you. For me, it will often show up as choosing to stop instead of moving forward with the Lord. Bear with me as I share the mental image I’ve carried for years around what this looks like. I see myself climbing a mountain that is steep, beautiful and glorious. As I make the journey, I don’t lack anything. Everything I need is available to me. More importantly, the Lord is with me. Just about the time we are about to breakthrough to more beautiful scenery and expanded capacity for me on that mountain, I decide to take a knee–take a break, back away, and stop forward movement.

I decide the journey’s too hard. It will demand too much. I won’t be able to keep up. I’m not the best one to do this–somebody else should do it. I’m fooling myself. It’s not really the thing I’m supposed to do. While the consequences may not seem as dire as they were in Lot’s situation. The truth is, I may not have any idea how dire those consequences are. In fact, I may not know until sometime further down the road in eternity….

Another way choosing the little shows up in my life is reflected in my choices to not put in the work for something I want. I resist the hard work of getting there. Sometimes hard work looks like the discipline of staying focused or staying on the same path. Not staying on that path costs me something because I opted for choosing the little. More specifically, it may look like choosing to only write blog posts when the Lord said write a book. Sometimes it might look like the choice to watch others do something that the Lord has made clear He wants me to do. It may also show up as choosing a lesser thing–and feeling like I’m being honorable—instead of choosing the greater thing God wants for me. When I say greater. I don’t necessarily mean fame, stardom or celebrity. When I say greater, I’m referring to the full measure and capacity of who God wants me to be for His glory.

So What Will You Choose?

How often do you choose the little —the convenient, quicker, shorter, easier— instead of the bigness God desires for you? Yes, it’s often more work or commitment, but it’s also full of opportunities and blessings for you.

As I reflect on Lot’s story, I wonder what the family might have learned about God on the way to the mountains? What life lessons might have been embedded in their hearts as they navigated the mountain experience? I also wonder whether he and his family still ended up being swept away (Genesis 19:17) because of his choice? The story of Lot and his daughters beyond life in the cave is a tragic one. The downward spiral of the decisions his daughters made eventually impact all of human history.

Does choosing the little reflect a lack of trust in God? Even in the midst of God’s abundance and goodness, we often choose the little as a means of safety. We opt for the easier task, the more convenient path, and the less daunting adventure.

What little thing are you choosing over the bigness of what God wants you to do? What story have you told yourself to make Zoar more acceptable than the mountains of God and His desire for you?

For me, the choice of little over God’s big thing often finds its roots in fear. It will often cloak itself as the need for more information, more experience, more systems, more processes or more support. Yet, when all of the sophisticated layers (and lies) are removed, there—writhing in the dark—is fear. It masked itself in order to avoid exposure, and it cost me—time, money, opportunities, growth and relationships.

Lot chose Zoar out of fear for what might happen. Fear pointed him in a different direction and may have altered his trajectory and the legacy of his family.

How is fear impacting your trajectory and legacy? 

What path have you ended up on because of fear?

Where will it lead you?

Let’s all choose love

Perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18).

Perfect love casts out fear. The phrase casts out is strong. One Bible translation uses the phrase drives out. Love pushes fear aside, dismisses and shoves it out of the way. This complete and eternal love God has for us is sufficient to imbue us with courage and transform us. Love can stop the aggression of fear and provide us with strength to cultivate growth.

Let’s take a stand today to extinguish the fiery darts of fear and choose the mountains.

Allow the love of God poured into your heart to squeeze out the fear that seeks to usurp and take over your life. What goal, journey or relationship awaits your need to overcome your fears? Where have you chosen Zoar over God’s best for you?

Today is an opportunity to change course. Get on God’s path—love lives there. The mountains may seem ominous and daunting, but the presence of God is positioned around every corner and present at every precipice to guide you on your way.

I look forward to seeing you there.

Stay close to Him. Live beautiful. Marvita

Special thanks to Unsplash for images courtesy of photographers, @AlesKrivec and @Speckfetcha