When I was growing up I often wondered why my older siblings got larger portions of food. I didn’t mind when they received larger helpings of liver or brussel sprouts, but I wanted just as much ice cream as they were getting. Portion sizes did matter to me. I am the fourth of five children. In my young mind I didn’t factor in their larger size and increased calorie needs. I just wanted an equal portion of ice cream. I didn’t want a proportionally sized portion.
If you had asked be to scoop out portions of ice cream to each member of my family, I can almost bet I would have given myself more than my siblings. But if my mom had told me I could give each person only one scoop, either a small scoop or a large scoop, I would have chosen a large scoop. I wanted lots of ice cream for myself. But if I was mad at my brothers, I might have chosen a smaller scoop even if it meant I also received a smaller portion.
Spiritual growth comes proportionally. If you only take in little bite sized pieces of spiritual food, and only practice 20 minute spiritual workouts of obedience, you will only get a little spiritual growth. If you avail yourself of God’s grace to a great degree, then God’s grace is available to you in a great degree. But if you are into “check the box” religiosity, then you will have a “check the box” spiritual life.
I want the LORD to be able to work powerfully in and through my life. So I am trying to be liberal with His grace toward others. I am trying to reflect what He has done in my life as I deal with other people. I am trying to recognize His grace in all its forms in my life so that I can recognize His grace in the lives of others. I am trying to be generous with my life, time, finances and talents so that they can become vehicles for the LORD to work through. I have to admit, I am not completely successful at each of the endeavors.
I want to use a big scoop in life, both to myself and to others. It can be very difficult if we feel we have been given a small scoop by others or by life itself. I am glad that I recognize the HUGE scoop the LORD has used in my life. His mercies are very evident in my life, and I am thankful for them.
Remember, the agricultural society in which Jesus lived. There was market day buying and selling of goods which would have used measuring devices. There was no government certification of the scales used. If you could figure out a way to cheat your customers without them knowing, you could do it without fear of a fine.
Decline in faith comes from decline in reading, hearing and obeying God’s Word. We choose the scoop size used in eternity.
What size scoop are you going to use in your life?
The Arnold Journey 