{"id":1232,"date":"2020-01-28T06:39:43","date_gmt":"2020-01-28T13:39:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/diannebarker.com\/?p=1232"},"modified":"2020-01-28T06:39:50","modified_gmt":"2020-01-28T13:39:50","slug":"sweat-the-small-stuffreally","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/diannebarker.com\/?p=1232","title":{"rendered":"Sweat the Small Stuff\u2026Really!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Sweat the small stuff. I know. We\u2019ve been told, <em>don\u2019t<\/em> sweat the small stuff. That may be the reason we\u2019re in this mess today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019ve been led to believe we should take care of the big stuff and not waste time on the small stuff. That\u2019s a terrible strategy for the Christian life. The small stuff is where we get in trouble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<span class='bctt-click-to-tweet'><span class='bctt-ctt-text'><a href='https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwp.me%2Fp9m6jT-jS&#038;text=%20We%E2%80%99ve%20been%20led%20to%20believe%20we%20should%20take%20care%20of%20the%20big%20stuff%20and%20not%20%20waste%20time%20on%20the%20small%20stuff.%20That%E2%80%99s%20a%20terrible%20strategy%20for%20the%20%20Christian%20life.%20The%20small%20stuff%20is%20where%20we%20get%20in%20trouble.&#038;via=DianneBarker12&#038;related=DianneBarker12' target='_blank'rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> We\u2019ve been led to believe we should take care of the big stuff and not  waste time on the small stuff. That\u2019s a terrible strategy for the  Christian life. The small stuff is where we get in trouble. <\/a><\/span><a href='https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwp.me%2Fp9m6jT-jS&#038;text=%20We%E2%80%99ve%20been%20led%20to%20believe%20we%20should%20take%20care%20of%20the%20big%20stuff%20and%20not%20%20waste%20time%20on%20the%20small%20stuff.%20That%E2%80%99s%20a%20terrible%20strategy%20for%20the%20%20Christian%20life.%20The%20small%20stuff%20is%20where%20we%20get%20in%20trouble.&#038;via=DianneBarker12&#038;related=DianneBarker12' target='_blank' class='bctt-ctt-btn'rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Click To Tweet<\/a><\/span>\n\n\n\n<p>Example: our prayer life. Crisis drives us to Jesus. We know immediately the matter is way too big for us. Jesus is our only hope. We have nowhere else to go. There\u2019s no one to help. We have no other options. We <em>must<\/em> pray about the big stuff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the small stuff\u2026that\u2019s a different matter. Insignificant\nstuff. We think we can handle that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Years ago I heard someone say, \u201cI don\u2019t think we should\nbother God with little stuff.\u201d His life ended up a train wreck. I think I know\nwhy. He didn\u2019t sweat the small stuff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A young friend shared her heartbreak after hubby deserted\nher. Admitting they had some problems, she mentioned a few, adding after each,\n\u201cIt wasn\u2019t a big issue.\u201d No big issues? Sweating the small stuff might have\nsaved the marriage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That small grudge. That tiny sprig of bitterness. Take care\nof it before it grows. Listen to these wise words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cStrive to live in peace with everybody and pursue that\nconsecration and holiness without which no one will [ever] see the Lord.\nExercise foresight and be on the watch to look [after one another], to see that\nno one falls back from and fails to secure God\u2019s grace (His unmerited favor and\nspiritual blessing), in order that no root of resentment (rancor, bitterness,\nor hatred) shoots forth and causes trouble and bitter torment, and the many\nbecome contaminated and defiled by it\u201d (Hebrews 12:14-15 Amplified).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sweat the small stuff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How big must a problem be to deserve prayer? You would be quite astonished to know <em>what<\/em> I pray about. I pray about everything!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Probably you\u2019d also be astonished by the <em>way<\/em> I pray. I don\u2019t often approach God with \u201cDear Heavenly Father\u201d as we do in a formal setting (church). I pray as though I\u2019m walking through life with my best Friend\u2014because that\u2019s what I\u2019m doing. When a need arises\u2014no matter how small\u2014I tell him about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is what Paul was talking about when he encouraged us, \u201cPray\nwithout ceasing\u201d (1 Thessalonians 5:17).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Life doesn\u2019t allow us to spend all day on our knees in\nprayer. We have responsibilities\u2014places to go, people to see, things to do. We\ncan\u2019t spend all day in prayer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course we can! We can stay in constant communication with\nour Father, maintaining an ongoing conversation. We talk about small stuff.\nHe\u2019s really interested in that. Remember what Jesus said\u2014that the thought or\ndesire is as much a sin as the action: \u201c\u2026everyone who so much as looks at a\nwoman with evil desire for her has already committed adultery with her in his\nheart\u201d (Matthew 5:28).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Deal with the small stuff. A lot of small stuff makes a big\npile\u2026and a big mess. Take care of it before that happens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My prayers are not eloquent, but God hears them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Lord, give me wisdom!\nShow me what to do!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Help, Lord! I\u2019m\ndesperate! I can\u2019t do this without you!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The word <em>conversation<\/em>\nimplies back-and-forth communication\u2014and that\u2019s what we do. I talk and he\nresponds. He talks and I respond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My part of the conversation includes requests, but I\u2019m\ngenerous with praise and thanksgiving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Lord, thank you! That\ncareless driver missed me by inches! Thank you for protecting me! <\/em>Why not\nthank him on the spot?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Look at that blue sky!\nThank you, Lord, for this glorious day! <\/em>Sometimes I even say it out loud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And there\u2019s some confession, too. <em>Lord, I\u2019m sorry! Forgive me, cleanse me of all unrighteousness, and\nfill me with your Spirit!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the end of the day, in my comfy bed, I don\u2019t have to spend time clearing the slate. I\u2019ve been doing that all day long. So I fall asleep praying Scripture back to him. This honors him and his truth comforts my heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<span class='bctt-click-to-tweet'><span class='bctt-ctt-text'><a href='https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwp.me%2Fp9m6jT-jS&#038;text=An%20abundance%20of%20joy%20and%20peace%20invaded%20my%20life%20when%20I%20started%20sweating%20the%20small%20stuff.&#038;via=DianneBarker12&#038;related=DianneBarker12' target='_blank'rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">An abundance of joy and peace invaded my life when I started sweating the small stuff. <\/a><\/span><a href='https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwp.me%2Fp9m6jT-jS&#038;text=An%20abundance%20of%20joy%20and%20peace%20invaded%20my%20life%20when%20I%20started%20sweating%20the%20small%20stuff.&#038;via=DianneBarker12&#038;related=DianneBarker12' target='_blank' class='bctt-ctt-btn'rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Click To Tweet<\/a><\/span>\n\n\n\n<p>An abundance of joy and peace invaded my life when I started\nsweating the small stuff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00a9 Dianne Barker<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sweat the small stuff. I know. We\u2019ve been told, don\u2019t sweat the small stuff. That may be the reason we\u2019re in this mess today. We\u2019ve been led to believe we should take care of the big stuff and not waste time on the small stuff. That\u2019s a terrible strategy for the Christian life. The small [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3],"tags":[9,77,438,58,130,357,479,478],"class_list":["post-1232","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general","tag-dianne-barker","tag-joy","tag-living-the-maximum-life","tag-peace","tag-pray-without-ceasing","tag-prayer","tag-praying-scripture","tag-sweat-the-small-stuff-really"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v19.7.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Sweat the Small Stuff\u2026Really! - Dianne Barker<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/diannebarker.com\/?p=1232\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sweat the Small Stuff\u2026Really! - Dianne Barker\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Sweat the small stuff. 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