Daniel’s dad is building him a playhouse, and Daniel wants to help. He’s not big enough to use some of the tools, though, but Dad points out that their are other ways in which Daniel can help. After all, everyone is big enough to do something.

It seems so simple. Our family even sings it around our house whenever our daughter finds her own ways to be helpful. Of course everyone is big enough to do something, so why don’t we act that way with Christ’s work? In the church of Christ, I’ve developed pet peeves around the uses of “I can’t” and “you can’t”. That second statement gets especially under my skin. We limit how others and ourselves can contribute to the Lord’s work when we should all be helping each other get to Heaven. Remember Moses being called by God? He had several very good reasons for not being able to help, but God reminded Moses that all things are possible through Him. If someone as full of self-doubt as Moses can do God’s work, then surely I can too.

What about Peter? How much patience would a modern congregation have with him? How long before someone sat him down to tell him that he’s not ready to teach or lead worship? We see flaws in others’ lives, or we see them trip up with the word from time to time, and we’re too often quick to diminish their desire to serve rather than see these as opportunities to grow. Everyone can contribute in their own way. Isn’t that what passages like Ephesians 4:11 are about? And if someone is willing to serve in a given capacity, it’s not my place to say they can’t. Instead I should be doing everything I can to help them serve the best they can, and if they truly aren’t ready yet, then I should be helping them grow into readiness.

Then we’re doing God’s work together, building up instead of tearing down. We can all contribute. We just have to believe in ourselves and each other. All of us are big enough to serve. All of us are big enough to help. All of us are big enough to do something.