Small things that become big things

Small things that become big things - Greg Laurie - http://www.wnd.com/2016/10/small-things-that-become-big-things/?cat_orig=faith

 

Pastor Greg Laurie notes, 'It is not how you look ... it is who are on the inside'

 

Church history tells the story of a Christian who was brought before the Roman emperor and was told to renounce his faith. The emperor said to him, "Give up Christ, or I will banish you."

 

The Christian said, "You can't banish me from Christ, for God says, 'I will never leave you or forsake you.'"

 

The ruler said, "I will confiscate your property."

 

The Christian replied, "My treasures are laid up in heaven. You can't touch them."

 

Then emperor said, "I will kill you."

 

The Christian answered, "I have been dead to the world in Christ for 40 years. My life is hid with Christ in God. You can't touch it."

 

The emperor turned to the members of his court and said in disgust, "What can you do with such a fanatic?"

 

What can you do? You can pray that we have a whole lot more just like him. This is what we need today - people like that Christian, people who will stand up for what is right, no matter the cost.

 

The Bible tells the stories of men and women who had great character and integrity and stood the test of time. But it also tells the stories of those who did not and paid the price. One man who comes to mind is King Saul, the first king of Israel. He had all the makings of a potentially great leader. He was tall, handsome, brave and anointed by God to be the king. God even gave him the ability to prophesy. But as you read his story, you see his life unraveling as he disobeyed God in the small things, and then in the big things.

 

Then, when God chose another to take his place, specifically David, King Saul became filled with fear, paranoia and jealousy. Ultimately, he threw his life away, committing suicide. The problem with Saul was that he didn't have any character or integrity. He looked good on the outside. The Bible says he was handsome. He stood head and shoulders above everyone else. But there was nothing inside. And that is what matters in the long run.

 

Like Saul, Samson also had opportunities, but he squandered them. For Samson, sex was more important to him than anything else, including God. He threw it all away.

 

In direct contrast to Samson and Saul, there was Joseph. Talk about character. The Bible doesn't have a single critical thing to say about him. The only thing even debatable is whether he should have shown off his new coat his dad gave him. If that is the worst thing he ever did, it's pretty minor - if it was a bad thing at all.

 

Joseph was such a godly young man that even after his brothers sold him into slavery, he was not bitter against them. He tried to make the best of the situation he was in. He ended up in the house of a man named Potiphar, who left him in charge of his estate. It wasn't long before Potiphar's wife cast a lustful look toward the good-looking young Joseph and tried to entice and seduce him. He resisted her advances and was thrown into prison on false charges. But he maintained his character and integrity. In fact, it only deepened. When he finally was released from prison, he was made the second-most powerful man in the world after interpreting the pharaoh's dream. And when the very brothers who had betrayed him were brought before him, he did not give them what they deserved but extended grace to them. He showed his genuine character and integrity.

 

It is not how you look on the outside; it is who are on the inside. We spend so much time on our appearance, so much time on our image, so much time on the way we want people to think about us, yet so little time on who we really are.

 

We need to remember this now as we go into a presidential election. It isn't about who looks the best or who has the best sound bites. It's about where these candidates stand on key issues that are important to us as followers of Jesus Christ. That is what we need to be looking for in a president.

 

Sometimes there are areas in life that cause us to wonder, "Is it all right for a Christian to do this?" "Is this permissible, or is it a sin?" We wonder about certain things because perhaps we can't find a particular verse that addresses them specifically.

 

We need to recognize, first of all, that all of us are different. Sometimes there are things some people can do, and it won't harm them as much as it might harm another. Here are four little questions you can ask yourself in those so-called gray areas of life: 1) Does this build you up spiritually? 2) Does it bring you under its power? 3) Do you have an uneasy conscience about it? And 4) Could it cause someone else to stumble?

 

Sometimes people will ask, "Can I do this and still be a Christian?" That is the wrong question to be asking. It doesn't matter what they're asking about. To even ask it in that way is a concern. Rather, the question should be, "Because I am a Christian, because God has so graciously extended his forgiveness to me, what can I do to get closer to him?"

 

Are you compromising in little areas of your life? Little things will become big things in a good or a bad way. Little compromises will become big compromises. Little commitments will turn into bigger commitments. A little honesty now will mean a lot more of it later. And a little deception today will mean a lot more of it later.

 

My hope and my prayer is that we will be men and women of character and integrity.