Least part 4
Sometimes the least you can do is the most that you need to do. Let me explain. We seem to have this idea where--espeically as "Christians"--we think we're supposed to change the world. And, make no mistake, we ARE. "For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God" (Romans 8:19). All of creation is waiting for the manifestation of our true identity. All of creation is waiting for the God in us to come out of us and through us. But guess what: there are ways to change the world that don't involve being famous or having an enormous platform. If you do something for someone... if you give instead of take... if you love because of what you have instead of loving in order to get... then you just changed that person's world. I find more and more that the old adage, "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me," is completely and totally false. Words do hurt. What you say matters. Because, "Where the word of a king is, there is power..." (Ecclesiastes 8:4). And, "For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned" (Matthew 12:36). I preached a lot of this not too long ago in the Judgment Day series, but what I took from Jesus' words about justification and condemnation is this: What we speak is what manifests. If we speak life... life manifests. If we speak condemnation... condemnation manifests. Because our words have power. The smallest amount of encouragement goes such a long way. But on the flip side, a word of discouragement can do just as much damage. And for whatever reason, it seems like it's easier to tear people down. Like we think if we make someone look bad we'll look better by comparision. That doesn't work though. I don't think attacking anybody has ever or will ever get them to change. It's the GOODNESS of God that leads men to repentance. Kicking someone when they're down doesn't do any good. But helping someone up...? That's a horse of a different color. When we put ourselves in other people's shoes I'm convinced that what we will find is that we all have similar feet. We're all just people trying our best to do what we can with what we've got. When Jesus talked about "the least of them" He wasn't talking about saving them from hell, or any "grand idea" like that. He was talking about someone being hungry and having that basic human need met. You don't always have to "change the world." You can simply touch those who are in your path. You can simply do whatever you can do for those that you're in contact with. God put you where you are for a reason. But sometimes we're so busy looking ahead (or behind) that we don't see where we are right now. We miss out on changing someone's world because we don't think it's big enough. Can I say it like this? God doesn't sweat the little stuff, or the big stuff. Because to Him it's ALL little stuff. There's nothing to big or to small for Him. There's nobody "beneath His notice." So maybe we ought to start noticing one another...