Pastor, Do Not Despise the Day of Small Things

October is Pastor Appreciation Month—a time to encourage pastors to press on in the grind of ministry. We certainly need the encouragement.

Most men enter the pastorate trusting God for big things. They pray for conversions and want to send out missionaries. Pastors prepare sermons, trusting that God’s Word will make a significant impact in their cities. Pastors want to be on the front lines of kingdom-advancing work, but the reality is that most days feel very, very small. Stagnant church growth and the never-ending prep for Sunday feels far from revival-inducing. Instead of boldly preaching Paul-like sermons in the Areopagus, our schedules are filled with endless emails and long committee meetings. Our work seems small, not big. And without the right perspective, smallness can lead to pastoral discouragement.

Our days can feel a bit like those of the exiles who returned to Jerusalem. They wanted big things in their ransacked city, but the day-by-day work of rebuilding the temple was slow and felt very small.

And yet, the angel of the Lord said, “For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice” (Zech 4:10).

In the midst of the small and tedious work of rebuilding, God was at work behind the scenes. God’s big plan included the work of small things. The temple, brick by brick, was constructed, and God was there in each brick being laid. The culmination of each laid brick was part of God’s grand story to renew all things. One day, the sum of all small things will be revealed.

That’s how we operate as pastors. God is doing a big work. One day we will see the sum of it all come together, but that day is not today. Our job is to trust in the big work of God by doing the small thing in front of us.

Here are three ways to press on in the small work God has given us:

Discouraged Pastor, Embrace Your Smallness

Throughout the New Testament, Jesus uses “small” language as a theme. If we are to enter the kingdom of heaven, Jesus tells us we must become like children (Matt 18:3). The disciples rebuked the families that were bringing children to Jesus, but Jesus welcomed the smallest of people (Luke 18:16). Children, by definition, aren’t the “big” people. Jesus is calling his people, even pastors, to “smallness.”

Jesus compares the kingdom to a mustard seed (Matt 13:31-32). One day, the seed will grow into a large tree, full of birds, but the tree begins with the smallest of seeds. In the economy of God’s kingdom, big things start small.

Consider the language of The Beatitudes. Jesus calls his people to poverty of spirit, mourning, and meekness. All the blessings of The Beatitudes hinge on one’s ability to become small, not big.

Pastor, your role is important, but in the same way a telescope is. A telescope magnifies what is big, but is itself relatively small and meaningless. Embrace the smallness of your call.

Look for God’s Slow and Steady Work

If revival breaks out in your city, praise God. If it doesn’t, keep praying and laboring towards that end, but also understand that this is generally not how God works. God changes people (and broader communities) one degree of glory at a time (2 Cor 3:18).

Because change is often slow and gradual, we can forget that God is at work. We are good at praising God for massive changes, but not so good at praising him for slow and steady growth. As a pastor, make sure to notice all the small ways God has been at work in your church over the years.

Perhaps there are no significant breakthroughs this week, but I bet over the course of the past five years there have been. Slowly, God has healed the broken marriage. Consistently, God has raised up the youth into mature Christians. While each sermon alone might feel average, over the years, the sermons have provided consistent spiritual nourishment to help God’s pilgrim people press on.

When rebuilding the temple, each small brick mattered. Without the small bricks, there would be no grand structure. God has been doing the small brickwork in your church. Keep your eyes on the final product, but also take time to notice the small, piece-by-piece work.

Wise pastors have told me, “Most pastors overestimate what they can do in one year, and underestimate what God can do in five.” If I become so focused on trying to see big, immediate changes, I become quickly discouraged. But when I step back and notice all that God has done in the last five years, there are hundreds of evidences of God’s slow and encouraging work.

Let Your Smallness Glorify God

There are plenty of wonderful confessions in the history of the Christian church. The Apostle’s Creed and Nicene Creed are recited by all branches of the church. The Heidelberg Catechism and Westminster Confession are embraced by Reformed Christians. There is also the London

Baptist Confession and Luther’s Small Catechism. All are wonderful confessions in their own right, depending on your theological convictions.

But there is one confession that is much simpler and ties them all together. When John the Baptist is forced to identify himself, he plainly confesses, “I am not the Christ” (John 1:20). And because he is not the Christ, he later goes on to say, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

Brother, pastor, this is your role—to decrease, to demonstrate the bigness of Christ through the smallness of your life. It’s easy to get the roles reversed. We want the big things because we want a piece of glory. But it is Christ who is big, not us.

Be content in your role. Do the hundreds of small things you are called to do, and do them well. Keep plugging away, working through books of the Bible each Sunday morning, leading the meetings, offering up prayers, answering emails, and putting out the small church squabbles. Work hard at the small things.

Pastor, don’t despise the day of small things, because a very big God is at work.

©2024 Jon Saunders. Used with permission.