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.”
Late Sunday evening I stumbled on a program about American Airlines. I only watched for a few minutes, but since then I have been thinking about what was being presented.
A former astronaut had been hired by American Airlines to assist in reducing their costs of operations. 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!
There were other items removed, but that was the one that stood out in my mind. It made me realize that many of the things in our life that seem small and petty can result in major consequences.
Let’s consider a small stretching of the truth. Okay, let’s be honest and call it a little lie. (Personally I do not think that there is any such thing as a “little” lie).
Let’s imagine that I oversleep and realize that I am going to be late for work. I call the office and make up an excuse that I have a flat tire and it is taking me longer to fix it because my spare tire is also flat. (That is more than a little lie, it is a bold faced lie—but I couldn’t think of another example).
Now imagine that a co-worker decides to come to my rescue. They have the same make and model vehicle as mine so they know their spare tire will fit. On the way to assist me they are involved in an accident that lands them in the hospital. Now how big is my “small” lie?
There are positive things that also seem small. We may say that we have a terrible memory and are unable to memorize Scripture. However we covenant to memorize and meditate on one verse each week.
Is that a small thing? At the end of the year we bow before the Lord and use the verses we have hidden in our heart to glorify His name. How many verses can we use? If my math and my calendar are correct, it will be 52. Isn’t that amazing!
What are the “SMALL” THINGS IN YOUR LIFE?
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing to others!
— Pastor Cecil