Less is More

Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – May 6, 2017

But the LORD said to Gideon, “There are still too many men.  Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there.  If I say, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go; but if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”  Judges 7:4

Less of some things can mean opportunity to trust in God with more things. This is why the sifting by your Savior need not be discouraging. His goal is not to harm you, but to strip you from any dependence on yourself or others and to rely solely on Him. Your financial limitations are an occasion to watch Him provide in ways that give Him the glory for your life. Less money means you have the occasion to trust Him with His creative provision.  

It stings when some of your friends fall away, but your best friend, Jesus, still remains. You can become involved with numerous relationships and miss engaging in intimacy with your heavenly Father. Fewer true friends will lead to richer relationships and more time with God. If your life is driven by one new relationship after another, you will drown in shallow living. Having fewer earthly relationships means you have more time for your Heavenly One. Less is more.

Take the time to shed the weight of worry and watch God work. A surrendered life can be efficiently leveraged. However, a life independent of God is severely limited in its influence. He is positioning you for unprecedented leadership and influence. Now is the time to quit mourning your losses and move on. You have a new lease on life with the Lord, so follow His lead.

Watch Him take your “five loaves of bread and two fish” (Matthew 14:17-19) and multiply them far beyond your efforts and enthusiasm. What God breaks, He rebuilds to be dependent on Him and more influential. This rebuilding process has simplified your life; so don’t revert to complicated living. Less is truly more.

If “more is more” is your motto, you can easily become mean-spirited and hard to live with. A “more is more” mantra eventually becomes meaningless. You achieve and receive more, but to what end? There is no fulfillment outside of Kingdom-minded motives. If it is all about you, you will become miserable. If on the other hand, it is less of you and more of Him, everyone is happy. This is how God works. “‘He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble’” (Luke 1:52).

Therefore, lower the volume of activity and wait in quietness. It may be time to talk less and listen more. The calming presence of Christ is priceless, so tap into His reservoir of renewal. Less worldly thinking and more heavenly thinking leads to discerning the will of God. Don’t just stand in awe of His robust accomplishments through your meager efforts. Now is the time to use this momentum generated by your Master. God is on a roll, and you have the privilege of joining Him. By faith, stop doing two things before you add one. Slow down so God can speed up. Focus on quality, and watch Him multiply the quantity. God wants to do more with less, so He gets the glory. Decrease, so He can increase. Less is more—less of you and more of Him.

“He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30, NKJV).

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