James 3:3-5
When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.
A former astronaut had been hired by American Airlines to assist in reducing their costs of operation. This man began to analyze the effect of weight on the amount of fuel used by the planes. Reducing weight conserves fuel. It seems that instead of going to the heavier items he started with rather small things.
He interviewed the Flight attendants about how often the passengers seemed to read the company magazine that was placed in each seat pocket. They said the magazines were almost never read. The magazines averaged about 50 pounds per plane. It seemed like such a tiny amount that it would not make a difference. Not so! Removing the magazines from all of the planes in the American Airlines fleet saved about $1 million dollars annually. That is a significant figure!
Seemingly small but questionable things in our life can place a strain on our spiritual walk. We may exaggerate the truth to such a degree that it comes close to a lie. We take things that are not our own and try to justify it by claiming we do not know who the owner is. (The thing we do know is that it isn’t ours!)
There are positive things that also seem small. Think what a blessing we would reap if we covenant to spend just 10 minutes each day reading our Bible. It may be more, but at least 10 minutes. In one year we would have spent over 60 hours in God’s Word. That, my dear friend, is not a little thing. Will you covenant?
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing to others!
—Pastor Cecil