Have you ever stopped to look at the horizon, especially when the sun is lifting the morning rays in the east or just tipping past the edge of earth’s reach and dipping below the valley of the sea? Both experiences are something to behold. I can think of a time in Arizona after venturing out from Flagstaff and seeing the “painted desert”. The colors that unfolded were beyond what my imagination could have anticipated. I saw something that truly left me in amazement! In this second edition of “the journey man chronicles” I used a snippet of the Grand Canyon. It was so large and vast that I thought I was looking at a painting and could’ve reached out and touched the canvas on the other side!
Perspective and understanding are key. Knowing what you are seeing and how you are looking at it can give greater insight to any situation. Jesus spoke of an abundance in Matthew 25:29 ESV. If you have it, it will become greater! “In this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and prove yourselves to be my disciples (John 15:8 ESV).” But remember he prunes those that He loves so you can get to the greater abundance (John 15:2 ESV).
Joining an official meeting, I had to respond to questions for my group at work. The concept of projecting a plan from a near perspective to a distant one. It would have to cover the ground in between too. So the project became a story in its own right. I started with a baseline, much like you have read above. Then I progressed to a bit more meat and detail. Following that, I paced out further leaving space that time will have to fill, all the while making sure the end results add up to the original intentions of immediate goals and distant ones. This is a standard in the working world. It is how we grow. We have expansion in one hand and attrition in the other.
Paul said that the fruit we bear is of the Spirit and its called: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23 ESV).” With these types of produce our lives should bear its increase in proper season. We can then rationalize the 30 and 60 and 100 fold that Mark quotes Jesus talking about (4:20 ESV)!
While I was going over the details of my anticipated scope, the boss came by and heard of my growth projections and liked them. I thought my vision was big enough. He then said “its good, but just too small.” And so it became bigger! It went from the 30 and 60 units to the full 100 unit measure. Much like my manager liking my vision and goal planning, God chuckled and said “you are thinking too small.”
Some things in life we can only grasp to the limits of our understanding. It’s a reason why we need relation with the One who oversees all. He can correct our narrow perspective. Just like the picture from the second edition of the journey man chronicles, I can only show you a portion, but if you go and see it for yourself, you can grasp the enormity on your own. It takes involvement on your part, but the Master will meet your effort and double down, triple down, and throw on a triple-double for good measure.
Godspeed, The Journeyman
Ps. Today’s story came from a correction at work. Even after anticipating a larger than normal growth, I was told to go bigger! God’s Spirit said it to me in that very instance, “You are thinking too small.” So I share my lesson with you today, you are thinking too small! Dive in and find out what He sees!
Mark 4:20 ESV “But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”
Matthew 25:29 ESV “For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”
John 15:2 ESV “…and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”
John 15:8 ESV “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”
Galatians 5: 22-23 ESV “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
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