Obey Him in the Little Things
My friend, Craig Groeschel, is the pastor of The Life Church in Oklahoma. He told the story of when he was a young man and had just come to know the Lord. The Christian life was all new to him. One Sunday, when he was at church and the music was playing and people were singing, he looked over a few rows and saw this woman who looked very discouraged. It seemed like she had the weight of the world on her. Something said to him, "Craig, I want you to give her an offering."
He had never felt anything like that before. He thought, "I don't even know the lady. I'm not going to go over there and interrupt her." He went back to worshipping and tried to dismiss it, but that feeling kept coming back. He looked in his wallet, and all he had was a $5.00 bill. He thought, "There is no way I'm going to go over there and give that woman $5.00. That would be embarrassing. Besides, what good could $5.00 possibly do?" He pushed it down again and again and again, but couldn't get away from it. Finally, he got his nerve up, walked over right in the middle of the service and said, "Ma'am, I know this sounds totally strange, but I feel like I'm supposed to give you this $5.00."
The lady began to weep. He turned to walk away. She stopped him and said, "Listen, I'm a single-parent mom. I've had a lot of things come against me this month. I knew I needed to get to church, but I only had gas to get here one way. I didn't have enough to get back home. I said, 'God, I'm going to take a step of faith. If I go, You've got to get me back home."
That simple act of obedience, just $5.00, not only got her back home, but it told her something much more important: that God still has her in the palm of His hand.
Craig went back to his seat very encouraged. After service, a bunch of young people were going out to eat and asked Craig to go. He said, "No, I think I'll pass." After all, he didn't have any more money. One guy spoke up and said, "Come on, Craig. I'm buying tonight. You've got to go." So, Craig went and got an $8.00 hamburger instead of a $5.00 sandwich.
God puts people in our path on purpose so we can be a blessing to them. Anytime you do good for others, you are sowing a seed for God to be good to you. Take time to follow what God has placed in your heart. Be willing to be inconvenienced. It may seem small to you, but you don't know what kind of impact your obedience will have when you step out in faith and obey Him in the little things.
"Give and it shall be given back to you…" (Luke 6:38, NIV)
He had never felt anything like that before. He thought, "I don't even know the lady. I'm not going to go over there and interrupt her." He went back to worshipping and tried to dismiss it, but that feeling kept coming back. He looked in his wallet, and all he had was a $5.00 bill. He thought, "There is no way I'm going to go over there and give that woman $5.00. That would be embarrassing. Besides, what good could $5.00 possibly do?" He pushed it down again and again and again, but couldn't get away from it. Finally, he got his nerve up, walked over right in the middle of the service and said, "Ma'am, I know this sounds totally strange, but I feel like I'm supposed to give you this $5.00."
The lady began to weep. He turned to walk away. She stopped him and said, "Listen, I'm a single-parent mom. I've had a lot of things come against me this month. I knew I needed to get to church, but I only had gas to get here one way. I didn't have enough to get back home. I said, 'God, I'm going to take a step of faith. If I go, You've got to get me back home."
That simple act of obedience, just $5.00, not only got her back home, but it told her something much more important: that God still has her in the palm of His hand.
Craig went back to his seat very encouraged. After service, a bunch of young people were going out to eat and asked Craig to go. He said, "No, I think I'll pass." After all, he didn't have any more money. One guy spoke up and said, "Come on, Craig. I'm buying tonight. You've got to go." So, Craig went and got an $8.00 hamburger instead of a $5.00 sandwich.
God puts people in our path on purpose so we can be a blessing to them. Anytime you do good for others, you are sowing a seed for God to be good to you. Take time to follow what God has placed in your heart. Be willing to be inconvenienced. It may seem small to you, but you don't know what kind of impact your obedience will have when you step out in faith and obey Him in the little things.
"Give and it shall be given back to you…" (Luke 6:38, NIV)