Have you ever noticed how the tiniest pain in our bodies can seem to cause the biggest issues? An eyelash in the eye. A paper cut on a fingertip. A splinter right where the sleeve rubs against the arm.
For Doug and me last week, it was foot problems. Doug went running one day and came home with a monstrous blister. On another day, I stubbed a toe not once but twice in the span of an hour. It ended up swollen and bruised. Both of us tried hard not to compensate by walking awkwardly, but it was hard. We knew that if we compensated, we’d end up with sore knees, hips, backs, and who knows what else!
One little thing can make it so difficult to accomplish even the most mundane of daily tasks.
How is it that we can acknowledge the impact of an eyelash, splinter, paper cut, blister, or stubbed toe, but don’t recognize the impact of the little things in our spiritual lives?
A momentary slip of the tongue.
Relaxed discipline, just for a day or two.
Crowding of our time in prayer and the Word.
Distracted focus.
A minor indulgence.
An unchecked angry thought.
Each thing may seem so very tiny and insignificant, but we ignore just how powerfully those little things can add up. Just as a misplaced eyelash can make it impossible to see, a misplaced thought can make it impossible to sense the nudging of the Holy Spirit. Just as a slightly injured foot can cause us to walk funny and hurt other parts of our body, so can a crowding out of our time with Christ hurt our ability to walk with Him properly.
We guard against the big things, both physically and spiritually. But, far too often it is not the big things that cause our downfall. It is the stacking up of the little things that weakens us and causes us to literally fall apart.
What little things have been chipping away at your ability to be holy as He is holy? I encourage you to remove that eyelash, pull out that splinter, and give that toe a little pampering this week. You’ll be so thankful when you suddenly find yourself walking a little stronger next week because of it.
Not Quite Ordinary 