Proverbs 30: 24. "When Smaller is Better"

Proverbs 30: 24     There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are exceedingly wise:
25     The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their food in the summer;
26     The rock badgers [hyraxes] are a feeble folk, yet they make their homes in the crags;
27     The locusts have no king, yet they all advance in ranks;
28     The spider skillfully grasps with its hands, and it is in kings’ palaces.

Proverbs 30: 26.  God shows a lot of love to the little guy.

God chose the nerd over the jock (Jacob over Esau);

the runt of the litter over the big brothers (David over his 7 elder siblings);
the “other son” over the elder princes (Solomon, 2nd son of Bathsheba, David’s 7^th? wife);
the country girl over the metropolitan princess (Mary of Nazareth, not Mary of Jerusalem);
the minority over the majority (Israel over Egypt and everybody else).

The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples (Deuteronomy 7: 7)

It’s a basic principle of personal growth that you should associate with people who are “better” and “better at” stuff than you are.  But when you look at Proverbs 30: 24-28 and the rest of scripture, you should notice that God has a very different concept of “better” than we do.

Bigger isn’t always better.  Sometimes (a lot of the time), it’s the little guy you need to watch and learn from.

Instead of begging for an appointment with that 3,000 member mega-church pastor, have a sit down with the storefront preacher whose 30 person ministry is morally, spiritually, and creatively powerful.

Instead of letting the old core of tithers run EVERYTHING in your church, listen to the wisdom of the broke members and the young members whose hearts are full of genuine love and empty of ambition and the lust for titles.

Instead of imitating the lifestyles and buying imitations of the fashions shown by celebrities, heed the advice of the “regular people” who have quietly worked regular jobs, peacefully raised normal and non-dysfunctional families, humbly prepared for old age, and without any pretense of being ballers, sent their children off into the world fully prepared to live righteously and independently while doing even better than their parents.

The wise man in the palace notices that for all the “great” king’s power, his armies cannot stop the locusts and his guards cannot keep out the spiders.  For all of the rich king’s treasures, and deals, and accountants, the ants save more.  For all the weapons, and fortifications and hardened soldiers the king employs, fuzzy little rodent-like creatures in the rocks are better protected.

We become better people by learning from better people.   Just remember that sometimes (a lot of the time) the better person is the little guy.

But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. (1 Corinthians 1:27-29)

---Anderson T. Graves II   is a writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church in Montgomery, Alabama.

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