Sometime in the late 1800s, Vilfredo Pareto was fussing about in his garden when he made a small but interesting discovery. Pareto noticed that a tiny number of pea pods in his garden produced the majority of the peas. This idea that a small number of things account for the majority of the results became known as the Pareto Principle or, more commonly, the 80:20 Rule.
The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me.’ — Judges 7:2
What we credit to Pareto, you could argue, that God had already modeled thousands of years ago through Gideon. Reducing his size from 32,000 to 300, Gideon’s army became only a fraction of what it had been and yet his mission was still as large– defeat the Midianites. Had God forgotten that Gideon’s little band of soldiers would face an experienced army outnumbering them 450 to one? From all appearances, this situation made no sense.
But this is not new;
- God used an old barren 100 year old woman, well past her child-bearing years, to multiply nations
- God multiplied a boy’s lunch of fish & loaves to feed 5,000 with leftovers
- God took a little bit of oil to fill an unlimited number of jars for a woman in debt
Are you seeing deficiency or sufficiency in your circumstances today? There is no situation or need which God cannot meet if we will simply trust and obey Him. What we often see as not enough, God sees as having too many. So often we limit ourselves based on our resources and beliefs rather then on an infinite God of unlimited resources who loves us much.
God was not about to allow Israel to be able to boast that her own strength had saved her. That honor would go to God alone but He would work through Gideon. As promised, Gideon’s army defeated the Midianites.
Are you in a situation at work where you feel outnumbered? Are you seeing not enough in your family finances? Overwhelmed and feeling defeated? Begin to peel back the layers and identify the key minority that are driving results. You will probably find that it’s a small set of your daily habits and routines leading to the majority of the success you’re experiencing right now.
- Focusing on the key 20% of your customers will generate more profits
- Zeroing in on 20% of your major expenditures will reap significant savings
- Identifying the misused 80% of your time will lead to improved productivity
God uses our little to do much when we place it into His hands with faith and obedience. Trust God to redeem your lost time and improve your productivity today.
Reflection |
What 80:20 Rule can you apply to your spiritual walk today?