I love reading advice columnists. Many
letters from those seeking advice start with a phrase
something like this: “My wife/husband/child/parent/significant
other is charming, good-looking, adorable, nearly perfect
in every way but. . . ”. The “but” often
indicates some behavior, generally but not always done
in private, that the letter-writer finds offensive or
disgusting or horrifying or immoral or simply troubling
and not resolvable.
Sometimes the letter-writer just needs
to learn some tolerance and lighten up a bit. Often, however,
that bit of questionable behavior indicates a deep crack
in the soul that ultimately destroys hope of a loving
and respectful relationship. I remember reading once that
a person should never marry someone who treats restaurant
servers poorly. Seems like such a little thing. Yet, it
is often the little things that truly show character.
And someone who treats wait-staff with disrespect will
probably also treat others with disrespect—including
spouses, children, parents and co-workers.
Here’s another phrase I’ve
often heard tossed around: “The devil is in the
details.” I actually prefer turning it to read,
“The angel is in the details,” but both phrases
say the same thing: little things really do matter. Have
you ever been bitten by a fire ant or dive-bombed by a
persistent mosquito or buffalo gnat? Suffered with a tiny
piece of sand in your eye or a struggled with piece of
food caught between your teeth or a splinter in your finger?
What about being infected with the virus that causes influenza
or an illness much worse than that? Tiny things. Big impacts.
Sometimes, life and death impacts. Yep, those little things
matter.
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus is recorded
as having made these comments: “If you're honest
in small things, you'll be honest in big things; if you're
a crook in small things, you'll be a crook in big things.
If you're not honest in small jobs, who will put you in
charge of the store?” (Luke 16: 10-12, The Message
Translation).
These words make it clear even more clear:
those things that are so often dismissed as “little”
or “unimportant” matter. They matter a lot.
They reveal the essential health or unhealth of the soul.
Our soul-health is the measure of the state of our movement
toward becoming Christ-like, the goal of all who call
themselves by the name, “Christian.” A truly
Christ-like person is willing to be held accountable for
all areas of life, not just those that are put on for
public show.
A counselor who works with pastors a great
deal once spoke these words to the members of a class
she was teaching: “There is one way I can tell if
a pastor is getting into trouble. It is when he or she
feels free to dip into the doughnut money and justifies
it by thinking, ‘I already give so much anyway—I
deserve to get something back.’” Noting the
shocked look on the faces of her students, this wise counselor
went on to explain. Such a tiny little visible compromise
generally means that something major but deeply hidden
is very, very wrong. Often, that major issue can be kept
secret for years. The public side of that person looks
untarnished and good. Nonetheless, that darkness will
ultimately come out and leave a lot of devastation in
its wake. The devil, or the angel, really is in the details.
We’re going to talk about this more
on Sunday in a message called, “The Ethics Breaker”
as we look at a really challenging story about a dishonest
man who ends up getting a big pat on the back. Come join
us—everyone is welcome to be a part of our worship
at Krum United Methodist Church, W. McCart and Second
Street.
See you in church.
Christy
The Rev. Dr. Christy Thomas, Pastor, Krum
UMC
Questions or comments about this article?
Please contact me at christy@krumumc.org
or phone the church office at 940-482-3482.
