Life Is in The Small Things

Christian, Christ Follower, Believer are words that have described my life for a number of years, and I am so very blessed to be living out a growing understanding and experience of the reality of God and His Word (the Bible) in this life, here and now.

   With every day I see the successes of God’s work or the hope gained by growing through my failures and acts of rebellion or sin (yes, I still for some reason choose ways that not only defy God but hurt myself and those I care for). One thing I am becoming more convinced of is the importance of the small things in life as implied in the parables of Luke 19:11-27 and Luke 16:1-13 and I believe it is that teaching that underlies and supports both these and so many others.

    It is not in the “big” things I find the most difficulty, stress, and heartache. The loss of one’s health, losing multiple family members, jobs, dreams…. These are the things that so often drive people apart and can cause so much damage in one’s life and future and yet these are the things in which I can see God’s hand the clearest. It is the multitude of small things; controlling anger over traffic, being patient when tired, complaining over how to fold laundry, etc. It is in these I find the greatest challenges and pain. Things that in the grand scheme of life, in themselves have no real value. I have become increasingly aware that to God, these are as important as any other command or task I could be asked to be a part of. These are the things that prepare a person to do the “greater things” (John 14:12) God calls each of us to. How can God use us to minister to those who may be hostile to God or sacrifice finances to help the homeless or the many great things we have yet to imagine if we can’t be obedient in the little things? How can God’s Spirit direct and empower us for bigger things when we can’t be quiet enough to hear Him in the small things?

  I, like most other Christians desire to see God impact the people and world around us. It’s because we know the love God has for them and our great need of it.

   I heard a pastor once state that God will not force us to do anything so if God is working on and in you, you will know it. So…. What is God working on in your life? This has had a great impact on my thoughts over the years and it has been my prayer and focus (I am confident God started this first) to work on the small, personal, and often unnoticed things that hinder God’s work in my life. I have found that what I thought were the little, unimportant details of my character and life have often turned out to be much bigger than I thought, as well as much more difficult.  And yet, when I find victory over them, I find that often they connect with other larger issues such as self-worth and trust.

   So, what I am really trying to say? Don’t neglect the small things in life. Often it is not as small as you think and you will find it worth the effort it costs you and the pleasure it gives God to see His people grow.

   If you need help in identifying and overcoming the small things in your life, contact me and let me know how I can help. If you already have a spiritual partner in your journey, I would love to hear how God is working in your “small” things.