Size Doesn't Matter
I’m sure I’ve mentioned something like this on The Rebel Christian before but I think want to dedicate an entire post to it now. That’s probably because I’ve had a big blessing in a small area of my life recently.
What do I mean by, size doesn’t matter? Just that.
I’ve been told by a lot of charismatic pastors—mostly youth pastors—that my prayers for ‘unimportant’ things don’t matter and are, in fact, bothersome to God. I’m writing this to say that is absolute rubbish. The little things in your life matter, they matter to you and they matter even more to God.
Have you forgotten that God is your father? Sure, he created the entire universe and has the power to destroy it all with, like, his pinky toe. But he’s also your dad! And he totally loves you, the same way your earthly father loves you. When you asked your dad for the latest iPhone for Christmas, he probably rolled his eyes and said you didn’t need one but you still got it under the tree, didn’t you? Or maybe later for your birthday, or maybe you had to save up for it yourself but who slipped you some cash for the savings every now and then? Your dad.
Why?
Because he loves you. And he may not think you need that iPhone, but he knows you want it and even though it isn’t directly important to him it is important to you which is what makes him care about it.
Let me put it this way.
We all have a family, or some sort of strong bond with another person on this earth. You may not like everything that person likes or share the same interest in everything your family is interested in but you still care. My little sister used to play soccer, I really don’t like soccer and I really didn’t like driving 40 minutes to her games or watching her practice four days a week. But I went and I screamed louder than any other sibling or parent there, because—even though I didn’t like or really care for the sport—I love my sister and since she cared, I cared, at least for her sake. I cared that she won, and even that she lost. I cared when she scored a goal and when she tripped over her own feet. I didn’t even completely understand the game but I knew enough to scream at the proper times XD
The same thing goes for us and God. Christ is our father and he loves us so much that he cares about everything in our lives. Not just our health, or our finances, or our love life. God cares that we want to lose three pounds this summer, or that we want to go on a vacation soon, he even cares that we’d like those shoes we’ve been eyeing to go on sale sometime soon. That would actually be nice—seriously.
I’m not saying God cares so much that tomorrow you’ll wake up three pounds lighter, you’ll win a free vacation from Groupon, and those shoes will mysteriously arrive on your doorstep. That’s not to say those things are beyond God’s power but, more importantly, God blesses us with purpose.
God told Noah to build an ark, he could have just as easily snapped his fingers and made it appear in that instant but he had Noah build it over time to demonstrate patience, endurance, and a trust in God’s promises. That may not be as much of a blessing to some as I see it but let me tie it into the lesson.
You want to lose three pounds this summer, just like God could have snapped his fingers and instantly built an ark for Noah, he could also snap his fingers and transform you into the healthiest person that ever lived. But instead, Noah built the ark himself and learned patience, instead of making you thinner right away, God may bless you with more self-discipline so you can stick to your diet and exercise.
The purpose here isn’t that God didn’t instantaneously make you thinner, but that God cared enough about that small desire to give you a blessing that will go beyond diet and exercise. With self-discipline you can stick to your proper health routine, but you can also become more dedicated to fasting. Self-discipline can help us in prayer and can prevent us from giving in to our temptations.
Looking at all that, it doesn’t seem like our ‘little things’ are so small anymore. Everything we desire is big to God and it’s important to know that his answers to those small prayers can lead to big things.
Whenever you find it tough to believe that God cares about your prayer, remember this scripture.
“Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” Psalm 37:4 KJV
As always, God bless