Little Things Are Big Things!

     I am sure you have heard the saying, “It’s the little things that count.” Though I believe it is true, I don’t know if I like that statement. It means: I can clean my house but if my closets and dust boards aren’t clean then my house really isn’t clean. It means: I can tell Dwayne I love him until I am blue in the face but if I don’t do things that mean love to him, he isn’t going to feel loved. It also means: I can go to church, read my Bible, and pray, but if I don’t live out my beliefs in my day to day actions, I am not showing my love to Jesus.

Gently encourage the stragglers, and reach out for the exhausted, pulling them to their feet. Be patient with each person, attentive to individual needs. And be careful that when you get on each other’s nerves you don’t snap at each other. Look for the best in each other, and always do your best to bring it out. Be cheerful no matter what.
1 Thessalonians 5:14b-16

     I think it is easier to go to church, read my Bible, and pray than to live out these verses. If these scriptures were rewritten to match my actions, then I am afraid they would say:  

“Impatiently and truthfully encourage the stragglers, and pull up the exhausted onto their feet, if you feel like it. Be patient with people who are your friends and who don’t test your patience continually, and when you get through with seeing to all of your needs, see to the needs of the people you love. And be careful that when you get on each other’s nerves you don’t snap at people you are trying to look good for. People you never see again won’t matter and it is understandable that you can be hateful to the people you live with everyday, after all, we all know children can drive you crazy! Plus, hateful people deserve a little hatefulness back! If you can find something good in someone, be sure to tell them about it. Make them feel good about themselves. Some people have so much bad in them it is impossible to find anything good in them. Keep your distance, leave them to their misery. Be cheerful when life is going good, or you're having a party, or you're putting on a show, or it's not Monday, or it's not first thing in the morning, or everyone around you is being nice.

If scripture only said that . . . I could easily be obedient. The problem is that the my version is a version straight from the flesh. There is nothing special, loving, or holy about it.
      If you want to be a follower of Jesus, you need to strive to be like Him and reflect His love and His holiness to the world around us!  Let’s work on ‘the little things’ that are really the big things! Looking at the scripture again, we can see some things we can ponder. 

• Gently encourage the straggler
• Reach out for the exhausted, pulling them to their feet
• Be patient with others
• Be attentive to the needs of others
• Be careful that when you get on each other’s nerves you don’t snap at each other
• Look for the best in others and always do your best to bring it out
• Be cheerful no matter what