The Small Things of Life

A thought provoking question…

What stirs your affections for Christ? What makes you thank the Lord, praise who He is, something that just makes you love Him for all the small things?

-The beauty of God’s creation. A sunset, a sunrise, an endless expanse of stars, a sky full of clouds and sun, the breathtaking beauty of nature. 

-Fellowship and community with my friends. Serving them, listening to them, enjoying their presence. Good conversations.

-Driving through a thunder storm.

-The sky….just in general. In all lights, cloudy or clear, sunny or bright, full of stars or full of moon. I just love staring into the sky. 

Even the small things that seem frivolous and small compared to the bigness of God and who He is. 

-A cinnamon crunch bagel from Panera.

-A deliciously good cup of coffee in the wake of the early morning. 

-GOOD music. 

-The smell of rain, fresh cut grass, and a newly fallen layer of snow.

-Finding pictures in the clouds.

-The randomness of life! 

The list for me can go on and on. As a follower of Christ I believe that once we enter into a true relationship with Him it will be the little things that start to stir our affections for Him. We should be in a constant state of praising and glorifying our Father for who He is and what He has given us. 

‘Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.’ Hebrews 13:15

It isn’t about rushing through life or becoming a slave to time…so just stop, breathe Him in, and praise our Lord and Savior for who He is!

Strive

 ‘Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel…’ Philippians 1:27

Striving: To exert oneself vigorously, try hard, make strenuous effort toward any goal, to struggle vigorously.  

Striving is not only to exert yourself and try hard, but it’s also to STRUGGLE vigorously. When I strive for something it’s a half packed punch with no energy behind it that doesn’t hit the mark and couldn’t even bruise sensitive skin. I give up easily, I get deterred easily, I get frustrated easily, and I get beat down easily by my defeat.

So to strive is already a struggle in itself, but then to strive side by side, in a community, is another struggle for an introvert like me. However, numerous times throughout the Bible God is telling us to live as one body (side by side) 

‘For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many.’ 1 Corinthians 12:12-14

‘For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.’ Romans 12:4-5

So as one body we strive together. When one slips we catch them and help them up. When one struggles we listen. When one rejoices we rejoice….

‘Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.’ Romans 12:15-16

This week has been a week of me listening to God. 

-To be intentional with people. To put myself out there and be vulnerable.


-To struggle. Struggling isn’t a bad thing, it is what is needed of us to make it through the swim upstream.

-To build community and fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ. And not just the ones I am comfortable with, but all of them because we are of ONE BODY, ONE MIND, ONE SPIRIT, AND ONE HEART!