Is there something going on in your life you know isn’t right, or will not end well? Do you wish you could change it? Sometimes we allow circumstances to continue in our lives because we think there is no alternative. This is not an accurate view, but it proves to be the easiest. Ignoring the little things that irritate us in everyday life is not always the response we should have to them. Little things grow to be big things. If they’re not tended to while they are still little things, they can get to be overwhelming and much more difficult to handle. Scripture tells us:
“Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.”
(Song of Solomon 2:15; NIV)
We are much more likely to allow those little things to go unattended when life is good, (while “our vineyards are in bloom”). I’m not saying you should be looking over your shoulder all the time, or always be “waiting for the other shoe to drop.” That being said, it is wise to be alert and willing to deal with things as they arise. While life is cruising along, and things are going your way, those little bumps in the road don’t seem to matter very much. But those little things can grow without notice, especially when it looks like all is good.
For example, you enjoy your work so you don’t mind when the boss asks you to stay late occasionally. Soon it becomes more than occasionally, but it’s only because of a current situation. Then you’re asked to come in early once in a while, only this is after it’s become expected that you stay late, occasionally. It’s still not a big deal because you love your work. However, after some time you become a resentful of the extra time. You realize that you don’t have any time for yourself and all you do is work, eat, and sleep. When you look at the situation, you realize that your job, or your boss, depend on your being there. In fact, you’re almost doing the job of two people. “But, (you think to yourself) projects are started, and it’s not fair to tell the boss I can’t work this much anymore. Plus, it’ll take too long to train someone and still get the job finished in time.” You feel trapped, frustrated, and tired. All this from not spent time while things were going well to reflect on what was happening while it was happening.
Another classic example is allowing yourself a “guilty pleasure”. It’s easy to think things are going so well that one little thing once in a while won’t matter. In Job, we see that one day when the angels had come before the Lord, Satan was with them. We’re told, “The Lord said to Satan, ‘Where have you come from?’ Satan answered the Lord, ‘From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.’” (Job 1:7) What do you think he does while he roams? He looks for us to display areas of weakness he can exploit. It is only through our relationship with Jesus, which fills us with the Holy Spirit, that we can see those areas and pray for them to be healed and protected from the devil’s interference.
Earlier I asked if you wish you could change something you know isn’t right. It’s in your best interest not to wish but to take action. Pray for the Lord’s guidance, then do what you feel Him guiding you to do. If He is guiding you, you can be sure He is making a way for you.
Have a great week and God bless.