|
|
| www.1001TopWords.com |
|
|
Small Things
When my dad was nearing the end of his life he began searching his heart to see if there was anything left undone - some unconfessed sin, a misdeed, anything at all he needed to make right before he faced God. He constantly prayed that the Holy Spirit would bring to his remembrance anything he needed to make right with his fellowman. It was during this time that he came across a rusty old garden tiller at the edge of his garden. It belonged to a farmer down the road who had sold it to Dad, but, when it didn't work, the farmer returned his money to him and told Dad just to bring it back any time. "I thought I took this back years ago," he told my mother as he pulled the tiller out of the mass of weeds. "Well, I know you meant to do so," Mom replied. "It never did work. Just haul it to the dump and forget it." "It doesn't belong to me," Dad responded and started cleaning the tiller up, breaking it free from the years of corrosion and debris. Finally, he loaded it on to his pickup truck and drove to the farmer's house. The man was surprised to say the least when Dad showed up with the forgotten tiller after so many years. When Dad apologized and offered to pay him for it, the man responded with tears in his eyes, "Why, that thing never was any good! I am the one who tried to cheat you. You are an honest man." When talking with him about the incident a few days later I remarked. "Dad, that was such a small thing! Surely you don't think God required you to take that old tiller back to him?" "I don't rightly know," Dad acknowledged. "But when you pray and things like this happen, it's best not to take chances on missing out on receiving or being a blessing." Then his beautiful blue eyes misted with unshed tears, "And besides, I want to hear Jesus say, 'Well done'." Small things. As I have learned to walk with God through the years, He has taught me how one small act of obedience can lead to major blessings. The Bible tells us: "Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won't be faithful in large ones." (Luke 16:10 NLT). It is the little things that can add spice to or spoil your life. Solomon said, "the little foxes spoil the vine."
Just little things. Just insignificant matters. But, it is when we are faithful in the small matters that God entrusts us with more. Be assured God will not use you to change the world until you have been faithful in the small things in your own house, on your own street, in your own town. Listen to the Holy Spirit within you. Be obedient to his gentle nudgings. God wants to know that he can count on you to obey him in seemingly insignificant matters simply because he brings it to your attention. It may seem like a "small thing" to you, but truth is, nothing is "small stuff" to him. "Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies." Mother Teresa Linda Van Fleet is a freelance inspirational writer specializing in articles and features on Christian lifestyle topics, angels, Internet and social issues. Linda has 2 children and three grandchildren. Visit http://ibelieveinangels.com for great stories of faith, inspiration and angels. © 2005 Linda Van Fleet All rights reserved.
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Fear Base Society In today's world we worry about everything, food, jobs, clothing, shelter, children, husbands, etc. But what does the Bible say about fear and what shall I fear. First lets look at Psalms 111:10 it says; The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. All who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise. I would like to think that all people want a good understanding of things. So I guess the first step is fear the Lord and follow his precepts for understanding. Some might ask, well how do we fear the Lord. Importance and Necessity of Special Revelation - Part One This article is a reply that deals with certain criticisms concerning views expressed in my article titled Pagan Philosophy, Unbelief, and Irrationalism.1 This article briefly exposed the bankruptcy of materialistic and empirical philosophy in particular and the worldview of non-belief in general. It was asserted: "Matter is silent; it does not speak. It does not say what is right or what is wrong. The definition between good and evil is found in the Bible. God is not silent." These assertions on my part were not original. Many Christian apologists have discussed these ideas when dealing with atheistic materialism. Readjusting Our Eye Focus Peter is a man after my own heart. I feel a certain bond with him. Perhaps, it is because he reminds me of myself at times and my friends and family at other times. Or it could be that I see Peter in all of us as we walk the Christian path and strive to serve Christ obediently, and yet, possessing shortcomings that can become our own stumbling stones. Simple It was my intention to explain the word "simple," and by the time I put the thoughts into words it became more difficult. I am sometimes at odds with others when I say that something is simple, and I must remind them that I did not say easy, there is a big distinction between the two terms. Where Are You Currently Heading? Do you know where your current path is taking you? Attachment - Bondage or Moha - Their Role in Gaining Enlightenment Attachment... Bondage... Moha... state as we may but the meaning of all three words remains the same. Christians call it water, Hindus Jala and the followers of Islamic dharma as Paani... the intent and meaning of all the three is the same. How Much Do You Love Me? Love...it's a deep emotion. Sometimes we say it in jest to appease someone. We say it to friends when we feel more than just a casual liking for them, but would we die for them? Spouses say it to eachother out of habit sometimes, parents tell their children, "I love you". Being a parent, I feel this is probably the truest form of love as we know it. Can people really know what it means to have perfect love? God showed us what this kind of love is, He calls it agape' love. There are no boundaries to this love, there are no exceptions and no excuses. Our love tends to wax and wane when someone either pleases us or disappoints us. It's a good thing God doesn't measure His degree of love for us that way. His love never changes even for the child who is disobedient and turns his back on God. Let's look at a man who loved God so much he would do anything. The Key to a Clear Conscience I have discovered as I grow older in Christ Jesus and wiser in all things spiritual, that one of the best possessions any person can have is a clear conscience. You feel good. I mean, you really feel good. You can let folks say about you whatever they will and it is of little consequence. How to Forgive Someone We've all heard the saying, "You have to forgive, but you don't have to forget." I won't refute that, but you have to agree that a lot of people use that excuse to never 'really' forgive at all. Are you one of those people? The Success of Servanthood "Who being in the very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant." Philippians 2: 6-7, NIV The Storms of Life Life is full of ups and downs, trials, and tribulations. They are called the storms of life. Whether it's losing a job, the end of relationship, death, divorce, financial problems, sickness, homelessness, peer pressure, etc?. everyone is going to have some type of storm that they must deal with. Take a moment and reflect on some of your life's storms that you've already encountered. Think about the situation and how it affected you. How did it make you feel? What did you do about the problem? Did the problem seem overwhelming to you at the time? If so, who did you talk to? What did you learn from the experience? Protector Some may ask why in a disaster some people are save and others are not? Well Jesus said to his sheep that no harm will come to them. He also said that he is our provider. Lets look at what the Bible says about protection. Lets look at the book of Psalm 32:1 it says Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. Now look at verse 7 it says You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. What a Blessing!!! Enthusiam And The Spirit In this article, I would like deal with one specific aspect of attitude, that is, "enthusiasm." To have an enthusiastic attitude about we do is essential. Solitons and Wavelets Everything in the entire universe, big and small, visible and invisible, is composed of energy. Life According to Green Principles: SoulBest Green Principles: SoulBest Surviving the Tsunami--Animals and Their Connection with the Spiritual World When the Tsunami struck Asia and East Africa on December 26, 2004 more than 220,000 humans died, but amazingly the wild animals escaped without harm. Carelessness "For lack of guidance a nation falls, but many advisors make a victory sure." --Proverbs 11:14, NIV Are Your Children Growing Up Too Fast? Each time our children graduate from one stage to another (i.e. crawling - walking, preschool - school, high school - graduation) we as parents are excited and a little sad as well. We want our children to grow up, but we reminisce about the "good old" days. I think those mixed feelings are normal for all of us. My question for you is - "Are your children growing up too fast emotionally and socially?" We can't stop their physical growth, but we can effect their emotional and social growth. Leaving Storyville One of the most difficult barriers to overcome on the path to spiritual growth is extracting yourself from the tenacious grip of the Ego Story. Unsuspectingly, many people are mesmerized and possessed by this mental illusion. Possessed like some demon possesses a poor, hapless soul. They are ignorant of their ignorance. They do not realize they are separate. They believe that they are the Story. Seven Soul-Nurturing Suggestions for Busy Women Looking for some ways to feed your soul in the midst of all you do? Try one or more of these great ideas!
|
| © Athifea Distribution LLC - 2013 |
