Being a Little Fish Is Okay

For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

~Luke 14:11 NLT

“I like trying to be a big fish in a big pond, not a big fish in a little pond” (The Andy Griffith Show “Class Reunion” Season 3, Episode 19).

Nostalgia had overtaken Andy and Barney. Barney found himself moving some of his belongings from the cellar of the house where he rented a room. His landlady had decided she wanted to try her hand at growing mushrooms and needed a dark place in which to do it. Among his belongings that Andy offered to store in his garage was a trunk filled with various paraphernalia. But when they lifted the trunk to a shelf, the bottom fell out, leaving the contents scattered on the garage floor.

As they sorted through the contents and placed them back in the trunk, Andy noticed their old yearbook. He immediately turned to his and Barney’s class and began reminiscing. Then, the idea struck. Why not have a class reunion? They would start by contacting the ones who still lived in Mayberry.

Andy’s heart thumped rapidly when he came across Sharon DeSpain’s picture. She was his former girlfriend. Thankfully, she showed up at the reunion. She had moved away to pursue her ambition to be a big fish in a big pond. Andy, however, was content with the simple life of Mayberry—to be a big fish in a small pond. Even though many years had passed, neither was willing to sacrifice for the other, and in the end, they went their separate ways . . . again.

On one Sabbath, Jesus finds himself eating dinner at the home of one of the leading Pharisees. As he observed, he noted that some of the guests fought for the front-row seats. As he often did, Jesus told a story—but only after healing a sick man, which aroused the ire of the religious leaders.

The story concerned a wedding feast, where the attendees jostled for the front seats—the seats of honor. Jesus instructed them to take the back seat instead. If someone more important enters, the person at the front may be asked to move to the back, causing embarrassment. But if they sit at the back, the host of the feast may ask them to come to the front, thereby honoring them before the crowd.

The story concerns humility, of which the Bible has a lot to say. If God works it out so that we can be a big fish in a big pond—or even a large fish in a small pond—then so be it. But even then, we should handle our responsibilities with humility, never denigrating those who work for us or are in positions below us.

Perhaps, we can even pursue being the big fish, but we must be careful of our motives for doing so. Is it to help others better themselves? Is it to better our world in some way? Are we mentoring them spiritually? Or do we want others to admire us? Are we after more power, possessions, and notoriety?

Pride will bring us down every time, but God lifts the humble. Being a little fish is okay. If by chance God lets you become a big fish, give him all the glory for your success. Then, use your position to help the other fish grow.