Finding our own voice itself was never an easy task and what more to subsequently inspire others find theirs. Indeed, to ignite the talent a passion of others, we ourselves must be fully engaged. Imagine the process of lighting a fire; it merely takes one small matchstick to start a huge fire. I especially like it when the speaker shares that the key to being BIG is to start doing small things!
Many of us do agree that at one stage we did ever dream of becoming a person that could bring changes both to ourselves and to our surroundings. Unfortunately, due to certain limitations within us, it never did happen. To understand what the speaker meant when he said we need to start by doing small things first, he used an illustration by making reference to a “Trim-Tab”. For me it was a new word.
What exactly is a Trim-Tab? A Trim-Tab is a small flap fitted to the end of a ship rudder. Though small, it is so powerful that by using it you can change the direction of a 175,000 ton Queen Mary vessel as big as the Empire States building. To move a rudder of the ship, you will need a Trim-Tab to set the process in motion.
Translated into management theory, a Trim-Tab is someone who takes responsibility for what he or she does within the space of his or her constraints. That makes it possible for him or her to create more space as time goes by and act as an example to others. They are basically people who are able to make a difference.
This reminds me of our Christ Jesus who was in the form of God, made himself nothing taking the form of a servant being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5-8).
Though, He was God and BIG, Jesus made himself SMALL by first becoming an ordinary men just like you and me to go through what we had to go through – all the troubles, pain, sufferings and difficulties on earth. He came to serve and help people by healing the sick, the blind and feed the thousands.
He taught his people how to live life abundantly and meaningfully. Though performed many miracles to help the people, his authority was still questioned, even arrested and eventually He was crucified. Through His death and resurrection on the 3rd day though, He had brought hope to people all over the world up till today and most importantly helped us gain our precious salvation, which can never be bought or earned.
Don’t think that only Jesus could accomplish all these works that we had just mentioned as Jesus himself had promised us in John 14:12 that “whoever has faith in Him will do what He had been doing and will even do greater things”.
This simply mean that you and I can still make a difference when we choose to start small that is by following and emulating Jesus footsteps. We will be able to change our surroundings by making an impact through touching and changing people’s life when we use Christ’s hand, which acts like a Trim-Tab in us.
There was once a principal who was relocated to a school in New York to help out the students there who weren’t studying and the teachers who were practically in the brink of giving up their jobs. One day while walking pass a corridor, she realized that there was a strong foul smell.
She decided to investigate and eventually found out that it came from a nearby toilet. She summoned the cleaner and asked him why it was so smelly and the cleaner told her that it was from the stains in the ceiling floors. She asked if they could be scrubbed off and the cleaner answered no as the stains had been there for ages. Instead of arguing or firing the cleaner, she promptly requested for a pail of warm water and a scrub.
Slowly, she knelt down and begins to scrub the floor while the cleaner watched from afar. At the end of the day, she walked to the cleaner and asked if it was still smelly and he answered no, not anymore. The principal even bought a washing machine and together with a teacher had taken turns to wash the cloths of the poor students so that they could have clean clothes to wear after school.
The teachers saw what the principal did and were inspired by her actions while her caring heart overwhelmed the students. In a short time and because she had chose to do the little SMALL things first, the principal had managed to turn the school around. Students were now eager to come to school and teachers and all other workers were all happily enjoying their work.
Most of us whether in work, school, home or in church tend to despise doing things which we think do not fit our status when given the task and what more volunteer. Washing the plates at home, cleaning the toilet in church or copying documents in office for someone may seem like a low-level job but they are just one of the smaller things that we need to do before we could begin to impact others.
Like a Trim-Tab that could change the direction of the biggest ship in the ocean, let us start SMALL as small things overtime can be an impact! As the word says in Matthew 20:26-27 “ But whoever would be great among you must be your servant and whoever would be first among you must be your slave” Lastly, I will live you with a description of this special person who had impact the world up till today to think about. God Bless!
Who Is He?
He had no servant, but they called HIM MASTER
He had no degree but they called HIM TEACHER
He had no medicines but they called HIM HEALER
He had no Army but Kings feared HIM.
He won no Military Battles but HE CONQUERED THE WORLD
He committed no crime but they Crucified HIM
He was buried in a tomb but is ALIVE TODAY.
He is Humble but will ALWAYS be EXALTED
HIS name is JESUS.
HE is our HOPE and GUIDE.
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