Sweating the Small Stuff

“I struck you with blight and mildew and hail in all the labors of your hands; yet you did not turn to Me.” (Haggai 1:6)

God sent the Prophet Haggai to the people of Israel to point out their inconsistencies. They had been working on rebuilding God’s Temple in Jerusalem, but, after some setbacks, began focusing on making a nice life. But the Lord was not blessing their efforts. Their crops were miserable looking, and their harvest was puny.

Contrary to the saying, “Don’t sweat the small stuff,” we do worry about little things. I can picture the Israelites studying what caused the mildew. Down at the farm supply, they were buying nematodes, antifungal powder, and spray disinfectants for their beans and peas. However, this blight and mildew outbreak wasn’t the problem, just an indication of it.

The problem? The people had forgotten God. They had come back to Jerusalem to build God’s house, yet they began building their own kingdoms. This could be at the root of many of our struggles today. Jesus said it this way: “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

How much time do we waste focusing on our problems rather than focusing on the solution? We want counseling for this and therapy for that. We need answers for this impossible situation and a miracle cure for another, when we really just need to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and others as our own selves. Blight and mildew (a.k.a. stress and worry) cannot live in a loving environment.

I’m amazed at the number of personal conflicts that could be resolved if we’d grasp this concept. Marriage counseling wouldn’t be so much needed if husbands or wives would pursue the Lord Jesus with all their energy and attention. Just by seeking out God’s ways, most “issues” in life manage to cure themselves. Have you gotten distracted from the most important pursuit? Stop reading that “Mildew for Dummies” book and pick up God’s Manual (the Bible). Quit dialing the Blight Hotline and place your call to Heaven today. You’ll be glad you did.

Don’t mistake symptoms for the disease.