The Little Things

APRIL 19, 2020 / BRADWESLEYBLOG / EDIT

When I was younger I used to take for granted the little things. Simple things like playing with the neighborhood kids or riding my bike in the yard. Eating three meals a day and having plenty of snacks in between was just common as breathing to me. Growing up you never think about how much life changes. But then it changes.

Today, I’m having these same thoughts about church. Growing up, most of us took church for granted. Church was the place that our parents or grandparents made us go. We would do or say almost anything to persuade them to let us stay at home. The last thing we wanted to do on a Sunday was listen to a choir sing 100 year old songs, or some man in a suit read from a book that we did not understand. We certainly didn’t want to get dressed up just so we could sit still for an hour and be quite. What we didn’t know then is just how much we would miss all of these things once they were taken away from us.

Today, most churches are virtually empty on the inside and out. Fear has gripped our world in such a way that now people are afraid to touch one another and the thought of being in any size crowd has paralyzed our nation. The government has deemed it inappropriate to gather with family and friends to praise and worship our God. The things we used to take for granted are no longer accessible to us.

The question that keeps rolling around in my mind is, how should I feel about our current situation? Should I live everyday in fear for my life and for the lives of my family? Should I lock us all in the house to make sure we don’t catch the latest bug traveling around the globe? Should I never let my children drive a car, or date, or get married, or try anything new out of fear they might make a mistake? To live this way is to live as if God is not in control.

In Psalm 56:4 David says “In God ( I will praise His Word), In God I will put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?” In this season of fear and doubt, I believe it’s time to remember our true purpose on this Earth. If we are going to live like Jesus, and if we are going to be disciples who make disciples, then we first must cast out fear. In Philippians 1:21 the Apostle Paul proclaims, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” There was no amount of fear that would keep him from his mission. Paul knew that even in death there was nothing to be afraid of, because it was the gateway to life. He learned to make the most out of every situation, whether he was traveling spreading the gospel, or if he was locked in a jail ministering to the staff. Giving up when the road got hard was not an option.

So what do we do in these uncertain times? In Psalms 55:22 David says” Cast your burden on the Lord, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.” So do exactly what he says first, cast your burden on the Lord. Whether you feel anxiety, or you are in the middle of persecution for your beliefs, or you just don’t know what the right thing is to do, Cast your burden on The Lord. After you do that, be obedient to what He is telling you in the Spirit. How many times have you heard a Word from God only to ignore it and then regret it? Don’t let this be what defines this season of your life.

One thing that is for certain, is nothing on this Earth is certain. The same is not true about our God. Our God is Everlasting, Never Changing, Omni Present, and All Knowing. When life spirals out of control all around you, the key to stability is only found in God. He is the One is was, and is, and is to come. People will come and go in our lives, but God will always be there. The governments of this world are corrupt and will let you down, but God is an ever present help in our time of need.

This week, let’s all turn our 24/7 news channels off and let’s focus on the little things that we so often take for granted. You never know, this might be just the thing that rekindles your spirit for God.

In love ,

Pastor Brad