DEAL WITH THE SMALL THINGS

Before they become insurmountable!

You have heard the old proverb which states: take care of the pence and the pounds will take care of themselves. Some people say: take care of the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves. The point is if you take care of the small things the big things will take care of themselves. The point is, out of small things big things grow. The Bible talks about a mustard seed, which when planted in fertile ground can grow into a mighty tree.

Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. Matthew 13:32

All these examples were speaking of good things that grow when you tend the small things, but the same can be said about bad things. If you let a small crack in the foundation of your house go unattended you could jeopardize the stability of your house. If you let a Canadian thistle go to seed in your yard you will have 50 Canadian thistles the next year. The same can be said about relationships, and the minor arguments and hurt feelings that are not addressed between two people. When left go these feelings can be like a mustard seed and can take root deep within a person’s heart and grow until it is all-consuming. Have you ever had poison ivy? Chances are you got one little patch, and if it was properly taken care of it would have dried up and gone away. But if you don’t take care of it and use it should and you scratch it pretty soon you will have poison ivy over large portion of your body. It is like cancer, which left unattended, will consume everything it comes in contact with.

Nobody ever died from saying they were sorry, or talking out a miscommunication. Most of the shootings we see today in schools, churches, and banks are done by people who are misunderstood or don’t know how to communicate. This festers into something ugly and is released through an act of violence. They want other people to hurt as much as they are hurting, because they feel that no one cares.

Think about the last argument you had with your spouse, child or, or friend. How important was that argument? Enough to lose your friend over, or the respect of your child, or to build walls up between you and your spouse? Small insignificant things can manifest themselves into big ugly monsters if they are not taking care of immediately. It is like building a masonry wall, in that while the mortar is still wet the wall is easily disassembled. When you let the mortar dry tearing down that wall is a whole different story. So it is in life, building miscommunications and hurt feelings brick by brick, instead of addressing the problem with your loved one. Never be afraid to say you’re sorry, even if it isn’t your fault, because the weeds in your relationship are not worth your pride. When we don’t let go of insignificant things we are opening the door to let the devil wreak havoc in our lives. If we refused to let old hurts go, to acknowledge we did wrong, if we refuse to say I’m sorry when were wrong, or to forgive others, and we need to stop judging others for any wrongdoing. If you don’t do these things you are giving the devil carte -blanche to make your life miserable.

As parents, it is important that we teach our children to turn the other cheek. That doesn’t mean they should let people take advantage of them or hurt them in any way. What it does mean is that they should let go of petty arguments and be the bigger person in the relationship. If you stay in the Word together you will find examples of this over and over, making you both better people if you follow the examples given in this Holy Book.

We as authors, love to use petty arguments to incite drastic reactions. It is a good source of drama for our story lines. I think it would say a lot about us as authors if we would also teach them how not to overreact, and how to be apologetic. We can use examples from our own lives and realize how many relationships were nearly lost over insignificant things. Let us rise above that, and be an example to other people.

For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.

Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.

Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!

And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:

But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

James 3:2-8

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

Ephesians 4:29-32