The small things make the great thing.

     Life seems to be full of lots of small things or looming great things all dependent upon us to engage.  Whether it's our relationship with others or planting in the garden the first step is always the same.  Get started and don't stop.  Some people seem to get bogged down and can't even find the way to start.  We want to start but feel overwhelmed and unqualified for the task or tasks in front of us.  At least that's true in my life.  Sometimes I look at my mini-farm and want to sell it all and buy a condo somewhere.  That's not realistic so I begin.  Within Christianity the process, complaints and finally getting going are the same.  We struggle with doing what we know we should be doing.  At the same time we feel overwhelmed with all that needs to be done if we are to engage the Great Commission.  You know, the go forth and make disciples comission that each one of us has where God has placed us in the world.  Talk about excuses!  I've exercised so many in my past that the enemy has a lot of ammunition to throw at me when I do engage my Christian calling.  Maybe you do as well.  When we keep one foot in the world and the other foot in heaven, we sabotage ourselves whenever we either don't want to do something or whether we believe it's someone else's job.
     I can't do everything.  I'm afraid of electricity, spiders, and some other fears.  When the power is off, the spiders are gone and my other fears are calmed, I can be quite effective.  I'm building a shop so I've hired an electrician to wire the project.  First fear overcome.  I have plug in devices that send bugs of all kinds running.  Second fear overcome.  Yet, in the back of my mind they are still there sending me messages to keep me captive.  Jesus came to set me free from fear.  Not only fear that I can't do something or fear that the message will be rejected.  Knowing my limits and knowing the expectations put upon me, I really try to do my best despite my fears.  FEAR phonetically is False Evidence Appearing Real.  Whenever the word "false" is used in Scripture and in our world today, you can bet that the devil is at hand trying to incapacitate us.  Sometimes he wins because I choose to fear instead of overcome my fear.  Perhaps you do the same thing.  So, how do you and I overcome fear?  The Bible says that God's love casts out all fear.  Hmmm...how does that work?  When we rest in the love of God we have no fear.  Having chosen Jesus to live through us we have no reason to worry and fear.  Matthew's Sermon on the Mount exemplifies this very well.
     When we give into the tendency to complicate the Christian life, we become ineffectual.  Getting off track spiritually renders us less than Christ intended.  Being able to understand this means we don't want to be there.  There are Christians who don't care about Christ's commission to go and make disciples for one reason or another.  I suspect that they are hesitant because of what they preceive the act will cost them.  Will it cost you your job to stand up for Jesus?  Maybe.  Will it cost you the level of excess you have been accustomed to?  Maybe.  Will it cost you relationships, business opportunities and the pleasures of the world?  Maybe.  What would you do if you really believed that God was in the midst of us working out his will through us?  Would you become whom God designed you to be?  Maybe that's your fear.  You like your life and don't want God to upset the status quo.  Whatever your reason for not letting the small things make the great things, you need to deal with it.  God is depending on you doing your part.  Remember it's always your decision.