Small Things Become Big Things
When someone says something that upsets us, it's easy to think it's okay to let off a little steam with some angry words. After all, we think they deserve it, and it';s just a small thing, just payback. But those words can become the big things that destroy your relationship. We have to beware of what we think are small things. The Bible calls them "the little foxes that spoil the vines" (Song of Songs 2:15). When someone keeps showing up late for work and thinks, "It's no big deal. I get there before the boss," the next thing they know is that they're looking for a new job. One woman told me, "My husband and I were so happy early in our marriage, but we started arguing over what seemed like small things. Eventually, we were fighting over everything, and we separated." These are the results of not being on guard every day.
In Judges 13, an angel declared the coming birth of Samson, who was to become a man of great destiny. God gifted him with supernatural strength to deliver his people from the hands of the Philistines, but Samson didn't take responsibility for what he had been given. He let his guard down, set his eyes on the wrong thing, began to rebel against what he knew was right, and was weakened in his morals. He began to hang around the wrong people and got into the wrong living situation. Just as the Bible states, "Bad company corrupts good character" (1 Corinthians 15:33), so it was with Samson. He did not guard what he was doing or saying, and he ended up tragically in the hands of his enemies, blind and chained.
Just think of how great Samson could have become if he would have checked his heart at the very beginning and said, "God, help me to say no to these temptations and distractions that are taking me from what You want me to be and do," if he would have just asked for forgiveness and repented of his sins. He had the power to say, "Okay, I'm done with that lifestyle, and I'm breaking away from the friends I've been hanging on to. God, help me be strong."
The apostle Paul says, "Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things" (Colossians 3:2). That means to set your mind on the important things in life--the things that bring you closer to your destiny, that cause you to have a strong marriage, good relationships, and a great job. Set your mind to walk in integrity and a clear conscience. Set your mind to honor God in all you do--big and small!
In Judges 13, an angel declared the coming birth of Samson, who was to become a man of great destiny. God gifted him with supernatural strength to deliver his people from the hands of the Philistines, but Samson didn't take responsibility for what he had been given. He let his guard down, set his eyes on the wrong thing, began to rebel against what he knew was right, and was weakened in his morals. He began to hang around the wrong people and got into the wrong living situation. Just as the Bible states, "Bad company corrupts good character" (1 Corinthians 15:33), so it was with Samson. He did not guard what he was doing or saying, and he ended up tragically in the hands of his enemies, blind and chained.
Just think of how great Samson could have become if he would have checked his heart at the very beginning and said, "God, help me to say no to these temptations and distractions that are taking me from what You want me to be and do," if he would have just asked for forgiveness and repented of his sins. He had the power to say, "Okay, I'm done with that lifestyle, and I'm breaking away from the friends I've been hanging on to. God, help me be strong."
The apostle Paul says, "Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things" (Colossians 3:2). That means to set your mind on the important things in life--the things that bring you closer to your destiny, that cause you to have a strong marriage, good relationships, and a great job. Set your mind to walk in integrity and a clear conscience. Set your mind to honor God in all you do--big and small!