Sweating the Small Stuff
Therefore, whether you are eating or drinking or whatever you are doing, do it all to the glory of God”
I Corinthians 10:31
A book came out some years ago called “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff”. Written by Dr Richard Carlson, the basis of the book is that we can ruin our lives by worrying and fretting over small things over which we usually have no control and don’t usually amount to much anyway.
We may focus on the little problems and concerns and blow them way out of proportion. A stranger, for example, might cut in front of us in traffic. And rather than let it go and get on with our day, we’ve convinced ourselves that we are justified in our anger, so we lean on the horn and gesture wildly.
Carlson is correct in his advice to just let such a thing go. To not make a mountain out of a molehill.
Yet, as I pondered that idea, I found myself thinking that, in a way, maybe I should sweat the small stuff. The fact is that how we respond to and handle the little things sends a significant message.
The Apostle Paul seems to be addressing this when he wrote, “Therefore, whether you are eating or drinking or whatever you are doing, do it all to the glory of God” (I Corinthians 10:31).
This verse encourages believers to strive to glorify God in all aspects of their lives, from the most mundane activities to the most important decisions.
I thought about that as I considered some of the “small things” that came my way last week. And I asked myself a series of questions:
“How should I handle myself in a crowded checkout lane in the grocery store to the glory of God?”
“How should I respond to a someone who is poking along in traffic to the glory of God?”
“How should I treat our air conditioner repairman to the glory of God?”
“How should I behave at a Little League game to the glory of God?”
“How should I deal with a dishwasher that needs to be emptied to the glory of God?”
I know…I know…all of those things seem so unimportant, so trivial. Yet in each one of them, I had to decide as to what would be to the glory of God…and what wouldn’t. True confession. I didn’t get it all right.
Phillips Brooks offered this great observation: “Character may be manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones.” That is so true, isn’t it?
Let me offer this corollary: “Living for the glory of God isn’t simply shown in the big moments, it’s shown in the small ones.”
Let me encourage you to ponder this as you make your way through this week. To be sure, you may face some significant moments when you will need to ask yourself, “What does it mean to live to the glory of God in this?”
But even more, you will face those mundane moments that populate our lives. And it’s then that you also need to ask yourself, “What does it mean to live to the glory of God in this?
Because there are occasions when you really do need to sweat the small stuff.
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