Christian Living

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The itsy bitsy spider
Crawled up the water spout.
Down came the rain
And washed the spider out.
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain.
And the itsy bitsy spider
Crawled up the spout again.

I have no idea what that nursery rhyme is all about, but there must be some significance to the fact that the spider was small.

Small things are usually not considered very significant. We speak detrimentally of small minds and small change, small fry and small potatoes. With the possible exception of the microelectronics and circus worlds, small people and things aren’t usually considered giants in society.

Yet, it’s often the small things that matter. Where would matter itself be without itsy bitsy atoms and molecules? Where would great novels be without individual letters? And, who hasn’t found big meaning in small print?

Personally, sometimes I get a bigger blessing out of small acts of kindness. Just recently, a friend shouted down the hall to me: “Are you alright? The way you said ‘Hello’ to me this morning just didn’t sound right.” Wow. That little comment carried a lot of care.

Jesus spoke of the value of little acts of kindness. While we may think God expects huge, costly, flashy acts of religiosity, he reminds us that, “And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward” (Matthew 10:42). Whatever is done for Jesus’ sake is done to him.

We often forget the cumulative effect of small works. Zerubbabel was charged with rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem after the exile. The original temple was magnificent, one of the wonders of the ancient world. Surely this new one would pale by comparison. Nonetheless, it would be a difficult project, and the Jews were getting discouraged. However, Zerubbabel was encouraged by the Lord with this question: “For who has despised the day of small things?” (Zechariah 4:10, NKJV). In other words, remember that every mighty oak begins as a tiny acorn, and every journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. Besides, it is not in us to perform mighty deeds: “‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty” (Zechariah 4:6). The Apostle Paul adds, “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13, NASB). The desire to do good, the ability to perform good, and the multiplication of good comes from God through Christ.

We humans have a tendency to focus on little things, especially the little negative things. Just as we may notice the itsy bitsy spider on the big rain spout, we will often pick a word or two out of an entire conversation that offends us. This will bug us for days, maybe years. King Xerxes commanded that all Persian officials kneel before Haman. However, Mordecai the Jew refused, and because one insignificant man out of the population irritated him, Haman demanded the destruction of all Jews. When oysters are irritated, they make pearls. When men are irritated, they make trouble.

How much better would it be to focus, like Jesus, on the little good things! The smile, the kind word, the hug, letting someone move ahead of you in line or on the road, the thoughtful gesture months after the funeral.

The recent furor over a racist comment by a radio host shows the power of words. We are becoming more and more sensitive to words, and sometimes rightly so. Words are powerful expressions of meaning, intent, and emotion. Jesus warned us that “Men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken” (Matthew 12:36). We must be careful about what we say: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29). Every little word counts.

This is best exemplified by God Himself. His words are recorded in the Bible. Jesus lived perfectly by them and emphasized: “I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished” (Matthew 5:18). That’s pretty comprehensive!

We do well to be mindful of the little things, be they spiders or people or words or deeds. We must notice and be thankful for small deeds of kindness, and should look for opportunities to bless people in whatever way we can. We must ask the Lord to guard our lips, and keep our ears peeled for those kind words. Most of all, we must take heed to every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4).

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