Rich Carlson has a book titled, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff and It’s All Small Stuff. Sometimes we need to sweat the small stuff because it is big stuff. What might appear to be a pebble in our lives is a boulder in someone else’s.
In Acts 6:1-7, we read of a problem. The widows of the Hellenistic Jews were overlooked. They were going hungry. The apostles set out to solve the problem by having seven Hellenistic Jews specifically ensure those widows were taken care of. The apostles would devote themselves to the ministry of the word, and as a result, the word of God continued to increase, the church continued to grow, and even many Jewish priests became obedient to the faith.
As far as the apostles were concerned, the plight of the widows was NOT small stuff. If it were, they would have brushed the problem aside. However, since their responsibilities to give witness about Jesus and the resurrection took up so much of their time, they realized they could not fix the problem themselves, but they could ensure the problem got fixed. In the eyes of the world, some widows going hungry might not seem that big of a deal. To the godly, however, the small stuff is important.
In today’s society, life is fast-paced and self-centered. We make snap judgments about the poor. The less fortunate must have become less fortunate because of their own life choices. How is “their” problem my problem? I have enough to worry about with my career, finances, and family, so don’t burden me with this. What is in it for me? Do these thoughts sound like our society at large?
Christianity does not lend itself to modern culture. Jesus expects us to care about the small stuff. People in dire straits have no way to pay us back for the kindness we might show. Jesus expects us to choose the best interest of others over our own self-interests. So yes, sweat the small stuff. The small stuff IS big stuff.Do you long for opportunities to help others in eternally meaningful ways? Sit down with me over an open Bible, and let’s study how Jesus can make us effective at helping others. Join us on Sunday!
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