Little things

There's an epidemic in our midst. It seems that people regularly bring up concerns or tell someone something that they just think they should know without thinking about the ramifications. These are little things that make no difference in the grand scheme of things but here's how they drain the strength out of everyone involved.

But first, a quick plug for being the church...Why doesn't the church stop playing like we are the underdog and start playing like we are the favorite to win it. If I had to put money (and I think gambling is a sin when a person does it hoping for gain) I would bet on the power packed, children of God over the earthy lost folks of this world every day. In fact the way I see it-Only one horse will even finish the race. So, if you're a believer, rock the pillars! Let's get moving and live out that which we know to be true-We are God's awesome agent of power in this lifetime!

We will we will rock the house! Unless of course you think that the God of the world paid such a steep price to set us up to lose. Nope, I don't think so either.

Where was I? Oh, yeah. I was illustrating the epidemic. So, someone says something that perhaps should not have been said or should have been said differently. They meant no harm 9as far as anyone knows.) Then someone spends some time thinking about it and decides something simply must be done-This is the start of the fatigue-they are tired now and even saddened by the necessity of confronting the person and trying to figure out how to do it in a loving way. Maybe they do or maybe they don't. Anyway, after whatever time of preparation they go to the person- that is if they don't harbor ill feelings (very tiring) or spend some time gossiping to someone else about the whole thing (Tiring for the person and the audience.)

So, they go to the person who unintentionally misspoke and they confront them. The mis-speaker does not see it coming because they (allegedly) meant no harm. They are caught off guard but perhaps apologize (tiring) or defend themselves (tiring) or promise to think it over (tiring.) The bottom line is that all this effort went forth from one comment that was made in a somewhat carefree manner (notice I did not say careless.)

What stinks about the whole thing is that at some point everyone gets tired-hard feelings develop-and in the mean time no one has been doing what they were made to do. Relating to God and enjoying the reassuring nature of his presence-Read evangelism and discipleship.

Evangelism is when someone tells someone else the good news about Jesus and asks them to believe and live the same. Discipleship is done by Jesus and occur rs when a person who is plugged into Christ lives for Christ a little more every day. If teaching someone how to say something or that they have misspoken in some small way is part of helping someone to be more like Jesus then we are missing the big picture.

The power of God is set aside for those who are spreading the Gospel. Jesus sat down at the right hand of the power of God and lo He is with us even unto the end of the age---If we are spreading the good news-Matthew 28:18-

So stop fretting the little stuff and get busing telling people the big thing. Really, do we have time for all this nitpicking if we are busy doing the right thing? It sounds like persecution to me...

Pastor Dan
www.Newheightsfellowshipchurch.org