Do you find that little things annoy you at times. Apart from any big issues in your life, there may be smaller things that just annoy you.
My daughter recently had a situation where her old car increasingly gave her trouble. So she decided to sell it. But then she found there was no interest when she advertised it. She dropped her price and there was still no interest. She then decided to let a friend use it, but it wouldn’t start.
In the grand scheme of things the car isn’t worth much money and if she were to trash it there would be little loss, but the series of frustrations began to get the better of her.
That reminded me of how little things can build up in my life. I have several weaknesses, including that I hate to let people down. If they express to me their hope, I feel keen urge to help them see their ambition fulfilled. However, I can end up overwhelmed by the feeling I might let people down. It’s not a big deal, but it wears away at me.
We probably all have areas where little things irritate us. Many things are fine to cope with initially, but can wear thin over time.
The bible talks about little things and how annoying they can become.
“Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vines have tender grapes.” Song of Solomon 2:15
Little foxes are not as serious as famine, fire or flood but they can spoil things for you.
“A continual dripping on a rainy day and a quarrelsome wife are alike.” Proverbs 27:15
Dripping water is not a big deal at first, but when it does not cease it can drive us crazy.
There are two main considerations when you face little things bugging us.
One is to see if God is trying to highlight something in your life for you to deal with.
The other is to cast your cares on the Lord and wait, patiently, on Him.
Maybe the reason you get annoyed with your spouse, children, parents, job, car, equipment, etc is because there is an underlying issue in your heart you need to deal with.
One such issue could be fear. You may fear that things will go bad or not get any better. Every time you think you see evidence for that, you feel not just the weight of the small incident but the crushing weight of your fear. You may fear that your marriage or home will never be happy, or that you’ll never get ahead in life, of that your limitations will trap you in an inferior existence to the one you want.
God can use these little annoyances as a way to shine His spotlight on your area of vulnerability.
Another issue could be pride. Maybe you despise certain things around you because they are not as good as you feel you deserve. You might think those things make a poorer reflection of who you think you are than you want.
Maybe you are struggling with feeling outperformed by others, shown up by them, and so you react to little things they could use to highlight their superiority over you.
Maybe you struggle with feelings of helplessness and you hate being in situations where your limitations are put under test.
There could be a multitude of hidden inner thoughts and agendas which make you vulnerable to reacting to little things.
Most of these things are idols: things you elevate as highly important in your life. The Bible advises that if you have an idol in your heart you will cause pain to yourself.
“A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed.” Proverbs 15:13
The original Hebrew text could be translated “By having an idol in your heart your spirit is crushed”.
So consider the example. If a person held material goods as idols in their life, such as wanting to own a shiny new car, then every time they see someone in a particularly impressive new car they will feel stung. The idol will be a source of pain for them.
Obviously, then, the solution is to remove the idol from your heart, so you can be glad for those who have what you previously wanted, and you can be joyful with what you have.
Take a moment to audit those little things that get under your skin and annoy you. Ask God to show you what they are linked to in your heart that you need to deal with.
When it comes to casting your cares on the Lord, you are invited by God to give Him your concerns and issues, and let Him deal with them.
“Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” 1Peter 5:7
Those things that make you anxious, fearful, frustrated, feeling vulnerable, undermining your peace and joy, are all things you are to put in the hands of the Lord. He cares for you and He cares about the little things as much as the big ones.
My daughter’s car issue was handed to the Lord. My concern over people’s demands was handed to the Lord.
Once issues are handed to the Lord they don’t belong to you anymore. They are God’s problems, not yours. You can rest easy, confident in faith that God has everything under control.
So, with those reflections in mind, let me ask you this question. What’s Bugging You?
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