By: Leo Percer, M.Div., Ph.D. | June 30, 2024
You had plans and dreams . . . some you pursued with gusto, while others kind of withered on the vine. Nonetheless, you genuinely believed that you would be in a much different place than you find yourself today.
Is this really how it all should play out? What happened to the hoped-for starring role, the opportunity to swoop in and “save the day”? Was this the destiny for which you hoped and dreamed? And yet, here you are.
When Dreams Fail: The Little Things of Isaiah
Maybe you feel a bit like Isaiah in chapter 6. Something big you counted on didn’t happen, or the hero you hoped would win the day was incapable of doing so. Sometimes it is as simple as waking up in a “less than” dream when the plan and hope was a “more than” dream.
Being Shuffled Off the Stage
Let’s remember, when Isaiah’s hero shuffled off the stage, Isaiah grieved the loss of the hero and the heroic moment. It all seemed to crash in around him. Yet Isaiah went to a place he had found comfort before, and there he saw something that would alter his perspective. Isaiah’s dream and hero were dead, but then he saw the Lord, high and lifted up! Isaiah went looking for a place to grieve, but he found a vision and a call.
Lost Opportunities
Maybe today you are grieving lost opportunities . . . maybe your own hero’s cape is a bit tattered and not quite as “heroic” as you dreamed . . . maybe life didn’t go the way you expected. Nonetheless, in the grief of that loss and that disappointment, there is an opportunity to see God and to receive his call. No, there are no promises that everything will work out in your favor (remember, Isaiah’s mission would involve people ignoring him or misunderstanding him), but you will be where God wants you (and where you are needed).
The problem is that this isn’t what you expected. Nonetheless, God is ready to reveal himself and his call in a way that will amaze (and perhaps terrify) you. Obedience to him is the only success that matters. Look up, weary pilgrim, the day is far spent, but a new day may be dawning soon. God has not forgotten or forsaken you.
When Dreams Fail: The Little Things of James the Less
Sometimes you feel like you don’t fit, or maybe like you are in a show without a recurring role, or you keep finding yourself in awkward moments, or maybe you think you’re unnoticed or even unnecessary . . . remember this . . . no matter how small your part seems, it may be pretty large for someone else. What seems like “small things” to you may yield big dividends in the life of another.
The Example of James the Less
James the Less (Mark 15:4) was one of the twelve chosen by Jesus, but even church history and tradition have trouble determining who he was exactly. Yet, he was one of the original twelve disciples, one of the eyewitnesses to Jesus’ life, ministry, death, and resurrection. Not as famous as James the son of Zebedee, this James nonetheless left enough of an imprint on history to be regarded as one of those individuals who “turned the world upside down” with his life and preaching.
“Less” may describe him as a youth, or short, or less known, but it did not define his impact on those to whom he ministered. There were people in the first century who didn’t think of James as “the Less” because of what God did through him. Nonetheless, James built a legacy, and like him, we are building a legacy. It may not seem like much, it may be “less” than we expected, but God has a hand in it.
The Importance of Living for God
No matter how obscure or unrecognized or inconsequential a life may seem, if it is lived for God, it will have a legacy. What kind of legacy are we leaving? God reminds us not to despise the small things. God himself came as a helpless infant. Small investments can result in big dividends, and the “small thing” you do in the life of another person may have a bigger harvest than you realize. You want a bigger role, but what you may not see is how big your “small role” is to someone else.
Conclusion
Give it your all, act faithfully towards God and others. Obedience to God is success, and ultimately that is what matters. The authority of the cross decisively defeats the pretentious power of prestige and position. In God’s kingdom, the way up is down, and small things may very well lead to victory. He who is faithful in little will also be faithful in much. Will we risk it?
About the Author
Leo Percer, Ph.D.
Leo Percer grew up in Millington, Tennessee, northeast of Memphis, when he first received his call to teaching ministry. He has been involved in numerous ministerial activities, including serving as an elder at Forest Community Church in Forest, Virginia. Dr. Leo Percer graduated with a Ph.D. from Baylor University, an M.A. from Western Kentucky University, and M.Div. from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a B.A. from Union University.
After graduating with his Ph.D., Dr. Percer has taught at Baylor University, McLennan Community College, and Liberty University, where he served as the Director of the Ph.D. in Theology and Apologetics program for years. His area of expertise is in Second Temple Judaism, the Epistles of Paul, and apocalyptic literature. Dr. Percer is an active member of the Evangelical Theological Society, the Society of Biblical Literature, and is on the board of directors at Ratio Christi. Dr. Percer resides in Lynchburg, VA with his wonderful wife, Lisa, and two children. He loves reading, collecting comic books, and is a coffee connoisseur.
