Sweat the Small Stuff!
“For who hath despised the day of small things?” Zechariah 4:10
Sometimes I get caught up in the “big” things I do each week: sermon preparation & preaching, studying for and writing Wednesday class material and bulletin articles, working with House to House, gospel meetings, Greek studies, etc., and forget there are many smaller things I ought not to neglect.
I guess I'm in some ways the opposite of the Pharisees in Matthew 23:23. They took care of all the minute details of tithing, but omitted the “weightier matters of the law.” Concerning them and their practice Jesus said, “These things ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.” I must remember that both are important.
1. Some “small” things that can be despised (“despise” - to hold in contempt or consider as insignificant)
a. Our Spouses
i. We may not say our spouses are insignificant, but we can often act as though they are.
ii. Admonition to Wives:
(1) Ephesians 5:23-24
(2) 1 Peter 3:1-6
iii. Admonition to Husbands
(1) Ephesians 5:25
(2) 1 Peter 3:7
b. Our Children
i. Matthew 19:13-15
ii. Psalm 127:3-5
iii. Our attitude toward our children can change:
(1) When children are first born, they demand and receive the lion’s share of our attention and concern;
(2) when they are older, we often place less important things (work, recreation, etc.) before the needs of our children (family time, spiritual instruction).
iv. Titus 2:3-5
v. Ephesians 6:4
c. Prayer
i. Luke 18:1-5 (cf 1 Thes 5:17)
ii. James 5:16
d. Bible study
i. 1 Timothy 4:13
ii. 2 Timothy 2:15
2. When a few words or small deed made a BIG difference:
a. Naaman’s servants - 2 Kings 5:13-14
b. The Widow’s “Might” – Mark 12:41-44
c. The Anointing of Jesus – Mark 14:3-9
d. How far does a little encouragement go?
e. How much good can be done through one “small, insignificant, hardly worth mentioning” act of love or kindness?
3. There are no small members of the Lord’s church, and especially none at Burleson:
a. 1 Corinthians 12:12-27
b. Galatians 3:27
c. Your “one lil’ ol’ talent” may be the only one of its kind in this congregation:
i. Because of your unique life experience, you may be the only one who can say or do the right thing to fill a particular need.
ii. You might be the key to someone’s conversion, perhaps bringing a whole family to the Lord.
d. Galatians 6:9-10
e. Let each one be committed to doing his share this year to build up the body of Christ (Eph 4:11-16), no matter how small, inglorious, or unrecognized it may be.
f. WHAT WILL YOU DO IN 2002?
In June 2001, my son Jordan and I were working on our driveway, using a chisel and hammer to remove old asphalt and then patching it with new asphalt.
. . . We were both tired, so our accuracy declined. At one point he pounded his finger with the hammer. He jumped in agony, holding back the tears as
he ran for ice. I realized no one was in the house to help him, so I ran in too.
As soon as I got near the house, I heard him screaming in pain. I tried to calm him down and get some ice on the tender spot, but he was in too much
pain to settle down. He hated icing down a wound as much as the pain of the wound itself. Finally, I put some ice in a bowl and filled it with water. He
agreed to put his hand in the bowl as long as I would put my hand in the bowl also. So we both sat there on the cold tile kitchen floor with a hand in the
ice water. Occasionally we would take them out to let the feeling return. After ten minutes he calmed down and started to feel better. With tears drying
in his eyes, he looked at me and said, "I'm glad you're here" [Jim Johnson, Longview, Texas].
THOUGHT: When a friend or loved one is emotionally hurting, our presence seldom takes away the pain, but it can often make it more tolerable.
KneEmail #163