I’m a Chicago Bears fan and this past Sunday they had a hard fought playoff game. Both teams are very talented and the game came down to a field goal attempt well within the range of the Bears’ kicker. It would spell the difference between a two point win and a one point loss. The first kick was good but time had been called at the last second by the other team, so he had to kick again. I can still see that final kick bounce off of the goal post turning sure victory into season-ending defeat. I’ve heard sportscasters say that baseball is a game of inches. The football field may be laid out in yards, but many of the plays in that game came down to a matter of inches. My apology to those of you who are not sports fans, but I believe there is an important life lesson here for all of us.
Life is not a game (although some people approach it as if it were one), but there are times in life when something as small as a second or an inch can spell the difference between success and failure. Some people advise us, “Don’t sweat the small stuff”, but Jesus pointed to faith as tiny as mustard seed that can make miracles happen. (Matthew 17:20) Paul likened false teachings (Galatians 5:9) and a little sin (I Corinthians 5:6) to a tiny amount of yeast that affects the entire loaf of bread; an illustration Jesus used in two Gospels. Small things do matter.
You may have heard the expression, “Give him an inch and he’ll take a mile.” No one fits that description better than Satan. He only needs a tiny crack in our defenses to insert a seed of doubt. When he, in the form of a serpent, asked Adam and Eve, “Did God really say that you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” the seed was planted. Then he watered that seed with his lies, “You won’t die. God knows your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God knowing both good and evil.” Before they knew it, that tiny doubt had sprouted into the full grown sin of disobedience which, in turn, infected all of mankind. (Genesis 3:1-19) As our relationship with God becomes closer, our doubts will begin to evaporate, but we need to be aware of the tiniest doubt creeping in and ask God to give us strength to overcome it and wisdom to identify the lies that are sure to follow.
I just heard one of my favorite young pastors tell about a rural area that was experiencing a severe drought. The religious leaders in the area decided to bring all of their congregations together in the town square to pray in unity for rain. Each group prayed in their own way lifting up their voices to God, but nothing happened and they all went home disappointed. Then a young boy of eleven decided to try, so he went alone and knelt in the town square. He prayed for rain and as he opened the small umbrella he brought with him a cloud began to form and the rain came. The difference was the crowd came to pray without being prepared for God to answer. The boy was so sure God would answer that he came prepared for the rain. We can eliminate the little doubts we have if we come to God in prayer knowing He will answer and prepared to receive His blessings.