A couple of weeks back I shared an example from my friend Paulus about managing stress. He emphasized the importance of solving conflicts, even the very small ones.
Isn’t it interesting how we often overlook the small things? Many times it’s those little things that are left unresolved and end up causing us great challenges.
I’m reminded of a sermon I heard a few years ago from my friend Johnny Foster. His message was taken from the following verse, and its power packed with something we all need to hear.
Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom. – Song of Solomon 2:15, ESV
There is a reason that the verse uses the word “little” to describe the foxes here. Let me ask you a few questions to help put this in perspective.
- Have you or anyone you know ever been bitten by a lion?
- Have you or anyone you know ever been bitten by a dog?
- Have you or anyone you know ever been bitten by a mosquito?
Most likely, you haven’t been bitten by a lion. (If you have, and you lived to tell about it, that’s a story I’d like to hear!) You may or may not have been bitten by a dog at some point in your life. But I’m willing to bet that you, and everyone else you know, has been bitten by a mosquito.
Think about it—A lion is so large and apparently dangerous, that you’ll take extra precautions to avoid being attacked by one. On the other end of the spectrum, the mosquito is much smaller. However, the smaller mosquito, one that doesn’t pose as severe of a threat, is one that we sometimes struggle to protect ourselves from.
Just like the little foxes in the vineyard and the pesky mosquitos at your backyard barbecue, it’s often the little things that pose the greatest threat to our personal and professional endeavors.
In everything we pursue, we need to be resolute in protecting the things most important to us. To do this effectively, we must keep out the little things that threaten to destroy us.
In the office, it’s keeping little disagreements from causing deeper divisions among your team.
In our workday, it’s preventing seemingly small distractions from taking you away from the most important projects.
In friendships, it’s preventing a busy season from turning into years of feeling disconnected.
It’s easy to put up safeguards against the big, obvious threats to our endeavors and relationships, but most often, it’s the little things we overlook that sneak in and destroy us.
Can you identify some small threats that could potentially hinder your personal and professional endeavors?
Work to catch them before they cause major damage to you and those around you.
