Keeping The Main Thing The Main Thing

Lately satan has been telling me lots and lots of lies. I have to confess that there are times when I believe him - sad but true. He tells me that I am of no use to God, he says that my good intentions equal obedience (that is a whole other post), and he says that the little issues are of the utmost importance. When I listen to the liar I end up placing value on the unimportant and letting the important fall to the wayside. Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things”. I dont usually get caught up with 'things' (posessions), but I do find myself stressing over ' issues' that are better left to God. I have a hard time letting go of what I have no control over in the first place.

Lately, I have been concerned (for lack of a better word) that I am not doing enough for the Lord. I have been feeling jealous of other people who seem to have found their niche in the Kingdom. What am I doing? Oh, sure I lead Bible study on Wednesday nights and I help with the church preschool activities, but am I really making an impact? I see women who are making a difference - who are bringing people to Christ. I am jealous of their influence for Jesus. I put certain people on a pedastal in my mind even though I know they have past sins that haunt them just like me. I sometimes feel like the child who isn't getting enough attention from a parent - I feel like I need to prove myself to God. I know that I am wrong. I know that I was saved by grace and not by the works I do, but satan continually places those thoughts of imperfection and undeservedness in my mind. Another example of not keeping the main thing the main thing. When my focus is God and His Word, satan's lies mean nothing to me. When I focus on myself and the world, I end up feeling like the kid that didn't get picked for the team (even though I am on the winning team).


I remember a night that I lay awake unable to sleep because I kept replaying in my mind a somewhat hostile conversation I had that morning. It was not an important conversation, but I felt that I had been wronged and I could not let it go. I thought of things I should have said or could have said, none of which would have made a difference in the situation, nor would they have brought glory to God. As I lay there tossing, turning, and replaying scenarios in my mind, it came to my mind that I had not even prayed about this little problem. As soon as I decided to listen to God (which I should have done in the first place), it was as if He said to me, “Why are you worrying over something so insignificant? I died so that you could live forever and you are worried about proving you’re right?” Then it occurred to me that my concern over the little things was interrupting my attention to the main thing - God Himself.

When we focus on the minor things instead of the “main thing” (things of God) we are no better than the Pharisees who were so concerned with the law that they couldn’t see the Christ right in front of them. The inconsequential things in life should never overshadow the miracle of my salvation. Think about that for a minute. When Lazarus was risen from the dead (John 11), do you think he was worried about what he would have for dinner that night? No, I am pretty sure that he was focused on the miracle of his life being restored. In Mark 10, when “blind Bartimaeus” became “seeing Bartimaeus”, do you suppose he was concerned with his disheveled appearance? Nope, he threw away his cloak (which was basically all he had) and immediately followed Jesus. Are these miracles any more extraordinary than the miracle of our salvation? Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” - sounds like the main thing to me.