Small Beginnings

Photo by Tina Xinia

For who dares make light of small beginnings?

Zechariah 4:10

This was a word given to the Exiles who had returned to Jerusalem from Babylon. When they returned everything was in shambles, broken down and burnt to the ground. Their houses, the temple, and the walls were all a heap of ruins on the ground.

They faced the challenging task of rebuilding. Building things is not always easy. Rebuilding things is harder because we have to wrestle with the constant reminder of what was, in the light of what is now in front of us.

God gave Zechariah this word to encourage them. The word was to remind them that even though it looked really small. It was just the beginning of greater things. If they could plod through the smallness, if they could keep going they would eventually get to the place of great things.

We can feel like the exiles in our own lives. When we are in the middle of building things, we can feel like the small things will never become great. We can be tempted to throw in the towel and stop building.

But I want to encourage us, keep building. Even when it seems small, even when it feels like nothing seems to be changing. The day of small things brings about the day of great things.

There is no way around it. If we are going to build great things we are going to have to take courage and continue to build even when it gets a little hard. Even when we are not sure what exactly we are building. Even when it feels like we can’t seem to get off the ground. We are going to have to keep getting up every day and putting in the work.

If we stop in the middle we will never see what it could become. In the middle of rebuilding and building the exiles faced opposition and difficulties. Eventually, they stopped rebuilding. They gave up and left the temple and Jerusalem walls undone. They did only what was necessary, they had rebuilt their houses but gave up on the rest. They were happy to live in the shambles than do the hard work of struggling through the small beginnings. Ezra 4:5; Nehemiah 1:3

One translation says… they are disappointed because so little progress is being made. Zechariah 4:10

They allowed their disappointment to stop them from continuing to build.

Maybe you’ve started a business and it isn’t going as fast as you would like it to. Keep building sis, it will get to the place you have dreamed of. Maybe you have begun a relationship and it feels like you’re stuck in the same place, fighting the same battles over and over again. Great things require hard work and patience. Maybe you are in the middle of a dream that seems stuck in small beginnings. Don’t despise the small things. Keep putting in the work. Overcome the disappointment. And don’t quit until you see the dream fulfilled.

Remember:

Great things have to start small. And though your beginning was small, your latter days will be very great. Job 8:7 nothing starts great. Every great thing we see today started somewhere. It had its small beginnings. It’s just they didn’t quit in the small. They kept going and waded through the disappointments and setbacks. They kept getting up after they were knocked down until they built great things.

Trust God’s timing. Trust in the lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledges Him and he shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3: 5-6 we can be tempted to run ahead of God and build things quickly. Often, His ways are not our ways. Sometimes, God allows things to take time because He is developing your capacity to carry that thing in its greatness. If you skip the step you won’t be able to sustain it when it flourishes.

Don’t let the disappointment and opposition move you. When the exiles faced opposition in rebuilding they quit. Ezra 4: 1-5 They stopped rebuilding because they faced setbacks and disappointment. Let the discouragement and the opposition develop your capacity to carry great things. Bring them before God and then get up and keep going.

Do not despise the day of small beginnings. God is working out something great and beautiful through you!