It's the small stuff.....

Son 2:15  Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.

Have you ever noticed that when you come home from work some days, and you children run to your car. They are coming to greet you because they love, and missed seeing you all day. Then you quickly find anything that you can wrong, and proceed to lower the boom on them. You might wonder why you could do a thing like that, but from time to time, you do it all over again.

It is the same with your co-workers. You get all stewed up about something else, and snap on them. It wasn’t anything that they did, like your children, but those are the ones that you choose to release your vengeance on. You never fail to feel as low, as sitting on the edge of a rolling paper, with your feet hanging off!!

At that point we always have two choices. We can either stop the madness, right in its tracks, or proceed to see if we can feel any smaller. We wish that we had never done this horrible act. No matter which way that we go from this point, we can’t erase the damage that we have done.

OK,……..So how do we not act like this again?     I really don’t think that not acting this way is possible, for most folks. Although, there is a sure fire way to slow it down. Let’s look at that verse on top of this page. It is saying that the little foxes, that spoil the vines.

I don’t know what my readers have been taught, about this verse. Maybe, you have never been taught anything about it, or maybe you are seeing it, for the first time. I have read what the commentaries have to say about it. However, I am being led to go in a different direction than I read. I am about to turn this verse into something that should make sense to us all.

Take the aggravations; for it is the small aggravations, which do the most damage to our feelings, because our feelings have really tender issues. I have just re-written that verse to make sense to most of us. Now, if there might be a macho man reading this, and he is saying that his feelings, has nothing tender about them. All I have to say is………..Really, ……………Seriously,………Ok,…………Moving right alone!!

In other words, we failed the offense test, which we have the opportunity to take every day. We have let somebody else invade the calmness of our spirit, with their madness!! Instead of dealing with it right there on the spot, we stuff it in an invisible shoulder bag. We carry it around with us, and stuff more and more, into that bag, until the bag explodes from the excessive pressure. The folks that I am talking with today are those, which consider themselves as Christians. If you are not a Christian, then you have more serious issues, than we are dealing with today.

As Christians we are really more sensitive that we ought to be. Actually, we have no reason to be that way, because it is not about us. It is all about Jesus!! Plain and simple!! Every time that we get offended about anything, we are stepping, into the spot light once again. The mission that all of us are on as Christians is simply to proclaim the gospel. The good news that Jesus Christ lives!!

We are to be ambassadors of Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:17) We are called to represent the living, Jesus Christ. We don’t have time to be getting offended, by somebody else action or words. Although, we often do get offended. We all do, from time to time.

Pro_4:23  Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. This is another jewel that Solomon wrote. Keep thy heart with all diligence. He is not talking about that blood pumping organ located in the middle of your chest. He is talking about the heart of your mind. The part that stores all that worthless stuff about the times that you got your tender little feelings hurt!!

It is a new day, and a new time. We need to guard everything that enters into our mind, by any means. Whether, it passed through, our eyes, or our ears. Sometimes the culprit might have been in storage for years, just waiting on the right moment to rise up again. The reason that Solomon said to do it with all diligence is because it is not easy.

It is very hard not to listen, to juicy gossip, being spread around, the morning coffee pot at work. It is hard not to watch that really exciting movie, which is filled with cussing, and scenes of sexual natures. It takes really hard work to simply, not participate, in what others deem, as normal behavior.

We are called for a high purpose. The second part of the verse says; for out of it are the issues of life. What are the issues of life? Once again, it boils down to Jesus. Joh_14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.  Jesus is the life, so what are His issues?  The issues of Jesus can be broke down in one simple verse: Luk 19:10  For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Jesus issue is easy; He is come to seek, and save those that were lost from the presence of Father. Ain’t you glad, that Jesus found you in the middle of that mess, that you were in? He took you just as you were, and cleaned you up. Might I add that you clean up mighty well!!

Breaking all down to the smallest common denominator, and once again it is Jesus. We are called to be His representation on the earth. His issues should be our issues. Why don’t we all start telling others about the good things that Jesus has done in our lives. Let’s tell them how much we love Jesus, and how totally dependent that we are on Him.

The good news of the gospel is that Jesus loved us so much, that He pulled us from the muck, and mire. We have been adopted into the family of God. I am not sure about you, but if Jesus would do that for me, I know that everybody has an equal chance!!

      ……………Much Love