Small Focus, Big Impact

I think that many times people have a hard time deciding to limit their focus for the sake of greatness because they believe they will also limit their greatness. This may be true, depending on how you define greatness.

If greatness = me becoming greater and my name gaining renown, then yes, a limited focus may limit my greatness. But, if greatness = God becoming greater and His name gaining renown, then a small focus will often lead to a big impact. Here is the way it works.

When I take the time to really seek God and find that thing that He created me to do that I am the best at in the whole world then several things happen. First, I begin to succeed at what I am doing. Second I find that my life is more fulfilling than I had previously experienced. Third I allow God to create a prototype in me that He can then pass along to others.

You see, God creates us to do things not just so that we can do them but so that we can teach others how to do them. This is a big misunderstanding in the church today. We look at Spiritual Gifts as some sort of system to see what people should be doing. God quite clearly said that Spiritual Gifts were there not just for doing but also for teaching. In Ephesians 4 we see that gifts were given in order to prepare God's people for the work He has prepared.

Let me give you a practical example that is close to my heart these days. I believe God's church is called to change its community, and a large part of every community is its school system. Changing the public school system is not a small focus. Changing one class of one school is a small focus. Say a church feels called to that focus. In so doing they tap into the purpose that God positioned them for in their community. Over a few months or a year they work and pray and they see God transform that class. And, it does not happen on accident, it seems to follow a plan, almost a system of sorts. Imagine if they take that same plan and apply it to another class, or if resources permit even an entire grade at the same school. They see the same results. Then God reveals how the same plan could be used in all of the grades in that school, but their resources just cannot handle it. But, they know a church down the road that could, and would use the system. One school changes. The word gets out among churches that there is a way to create change... and it works; they have seen it work. More churches get involved, more cities get involved, schools across the county, state, even country begin to change. Pretty soon nobody even knows the name of the first church because bigger, more prevalent churches have taken up the forefront and are carrying out the system in huge ways, maybe even better ways. But, the church with the Small Focus was able to have Big Impact.

When I refine my focus I am not limiting my impact. In fact the reverse is often true when my focus is too broad. My hands touch everything and accomplish nothing.