Don’t Let the Small Stuff Get You Down

16 Oct Don’t Let the Small Stuff Get You Down

IF YOU LET IT, THE SMALL STUFF IN LIFE WILL BUILD UP TO BECOME BIG STUFF

Some years ago, I flew to Chicago on Friday night to speak at an all-day seminar the next day.  I felt like I was getting sick, so getting a good night’s sleep to ward off the plague was my highest priority.

When I checked into my hotel and went to my room to go to bed, the entire hallway was crawling with scores of 10-14 year old boys, shouting, playing soccer, and running in and out of each others’ rooms, with doors open and TVs blaring.

I panicked.  I thought, “I’m never going to get to sleep in this mayhem… and I’ll be sick as a dog tomorrow!”  So I called the front desk to have someone come up and quiet them down. It didn’t work.

I asked the manager to move me.  Couldn’t. There was a regional YMCA swim meet the next day.  The entire hotel was full of squirrely boys.

So I took a hot shower to relax me, thinking I could get drowsy enough to sleep. Didn’t work.  “I’m going to be sick!”

There was a vibrator on the bed.  I put two quarters in, thinking I could go to sleep with a gentle vibration.  Didn’t work.  “I’m going to be sick!”

I turned the TV on thinking it would drown out the racket outside.  Didn’t work.  “I’m going to be sick!”

The clock kept ticking and was now approaching midnight.  I turned over in bed and wrapped the pillow around my ears.  My elbow hit the headboard, which fell off the wall. “Is this for real?!?  I’m going to be sick!”

Finally, it got late enough that even pre-teen boys went to sleep, and so did I.

But, I almost blew a gasket that night.  I was exasperated with the kids for making so much noise.  I was exasperated with the adult chaperones for letting them.  I was exasperated with the hotel for not fixing it.  I was just plain exasperated!

The next morning, I got up at 7 AM. The hotel was silent as a tomb. I got ready and as I left my room to go down to breakfast, I had to the fight the impulse to turn my TV volume all the way up, leave my door open and pound on all of their doors as I walked down the hall.

The interesting thing is, I did not get sick. I was fine. My only problem was the guilt that washed over me as I drove to the church to teach people the Bible and how to live the Christian life. I reviewed the murder I’d had in my heart for those kids the night before, and how deeply I had resented being stuck in that impossible situation. I felt petty and small.

I had let small stuff accumulate into big stuff and it had completely neutralized me, spiritually.

Fortunately, I had time for repentance and restoration of fellowship with the Lord before reaching the church to begin the seminar.

I wish I could say that that was the last time I ever let small stuff build up to become big stuff. Unfortunately it wasn’t. However, I have learned some things that have been helpful to me, and I want to share them in case they might be helpful to you.

Common sense tips on keeping small things small

1. Differentiate between big stuff and small stuff.

Often, we treat little things as big things and overvalue their importance.  There are many big things in life: health, food, clothing, shelter, relationships. Most of the other things are little things. If we admit they are little things, they don’t weigh so much or burden us so heavily. They will be easier to let go of.

2. Learn to let go.

In his book, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff, Robert Colson offers his #1 advice for letting go:  “Will this matter next year?”  If it won’t, let it go. When we put things into perspective, we can let go of the little things. It is only because we hold onto them that they begin to weigh us down.

3. Decide ahead of time that you will not let the small stuff get you down.

Traffic in Atlanta, where I once lived, was a nightmare. I drove about an hour to get to work, and it was stop-and-go much of the time, with many crazy, often aggressive drivers.  It used to drive me nuts. I suspect my blood pressure was at an unsafe level while I was behind the wheel. I often arrived at work a bundle of nerves.

Then I would sit down and try to write devotional material, helping people live a better Christian life. I thought to myself, “This is not right.” So I decided to change.

I decided to accept the challenge of ministering to people as I drove to work. I looked for opportunities to let people in front of me. I waved back at them as they waved thankfully to me. When people merged from an on-ramp, I was the Good Samaritan and let (safely) them in.

I thought I might be the instigator of a great “freeway revival” in Atlanta! And while that never happened, it did transform my driving habits as well as my driving attitude.

Later, when I was pastoring in Austin, Texas, at a staff meeting, one of our secretaries confessed that once, as she was taking her preschooler to daycare, her daughter said, “Mommy, I don’t think God wants you to talk to the other drivers that way.” She said that helped her get a grip on her attitude while driving.

Scriptures that speak to trials, even if they are little ones    

1. Trials, even little ones, can make us more like Christ if we let them:

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.James 1:2 – 4,

2. Trials, even little ones, can draw us closer to God, as well as increase our capacity to minister to others:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.2 Corinthians 1:3-4,

3. Trials, even little ones, can increase our eternal reward:

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.  Romans 8:18

Don’t let the small stuff get you down.  Heaven knows, there is enough big stuff in life we have to deal with, let’s not add small stuff to the list!

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