Jesus said, "What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his garden; and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches."- St. Luke 13: 18, 19
Our Lord uses stories – parables – to teach important lessons, especially lessons about the kingdom, in which God is acknowledged as King of the universe. He compares God's Kingdom to a mustard seed which, small as it is, grows into something quite impressive.
When it comes to the Kingdom of God, we are called by Christ to be part of building it up, but we are not to be worried by small beginnings. It might seem as though our efforts produce such negligible results, and yet even a small effort, if it is repeated over and over, can have dramatic results. Every good work must have a beginning. Nothing arrives full-grown. When it comes to the Kingdom of God, each of us has the responsibility to do our duty, and all our efforts cumulatively will have a tremendous effect on the spread of the Kingdom.
Sometimes, looking at the state of things around us, it is understandable that we get impatient and discouraged. And yet, those feelings come to us only when we forget that it is God’s Kingdom, and not our own, that Christ asks us to build with Him. It is our task to take care of our own little corner of the garden, and we need to let the God of the Universe oversee the whole field.
Remember the motto of St. David of Wales: “Do the little things.” When we do those little things in our own circle, with our family and friends and acquaintances, we will see God’s Kingdom growing around us, even though it might seem almost imperceptible. We have God’s promise: His Kingdom will triumph.