Day 29

Little Things

John 1:40-42 (CSB) Andrew … was one of the two who heard John [the Baptist] and followed him. 41He first found his own brother …and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated “the Christ”), 42and he brought …[him] to Jesus. A simple invitation from one brother to another. It is amazing what difference a ‘little thing’ can make.

In 1975 the United States Congress designated the metric system as "the preferred system of weights and measures for United States trade and commerce". This sounds reasonable. The US wanted to be consistent with the rest of the world with our weights and measurements.

In 1999 NASA worked with Lockheed Martin in developing the Mars Climate Orbiter. NASA specified metric units in the contract. Lockheed did not read the contract correctly and did not deliver its figures in metric units. The Mars Climate Orbiter descended to low and disintegrated in the Mars atmosphere. A simple math conversion would have eliminated a 330-million-dollar mistake.

Little things can have tremendous consequences. It was a little thing for Andrew to invite his brother to meet Jesus. Andrew and his brother grew up together. They were in the same family business. They worked together every day. It was a little thing. But what happened as a result of the little decision Andrew made to invite his brother to meet Jesus?

Andrew’s brother became the Apostle Peter! Peter would become the leader of the other apostles and the central person Jesus would use for the establishment of the New Testament Church.

Matthew 16:16-18 (CSB)  Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17Jesus responded, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven. 18And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.”

Peter preached the first public sermon after Jesus was resurrected and the church exploded in growth. Acts 2:41 (CSB) So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added to them.

Little things can make a difference.

We are focused on 40 days of fasting and prayer. Taking only 40 days to focus on God’s direction in our lives, is a little thing. Taking one day to fast from food to focus on God’s purpose for our lives, is a little thing. Taking 40 days to restrict an area in our lives that brings us into defeat, is a little thing. These little things can make a big difference in the way we will live for the rest of our lives. Little things can make a difference.
Posted in