Compared to God’s part, our part is minuscule but necessary. We don’t have to do much, but we do have to do something.
 

	Write a letter.
	Ask forgiveness.
	Call a counselor.
	Confess.
	Call mom.
	Visit a doctor.
	Be baptized.
	Feed a hungry person.
	Pray.
	Teach.
	Go.
	Do something that demonstrates faith.
	For faith with no effort is no faith at all.

Max Lucado wrote these words in a devotional book I have, God’s Inspirational Promise Book. I was thinking about obedience this week as I was babysitting. I had to make sure the boy I was keeping did the assignments his mother had for him to do before she got home in the afternoon. I kept him for seven hours a day and the assignments each day took a little less than an hour to complete. I would remind him throughout the day of his assignments, but he always waited until the absolute very last minute.
I am a huge procrastinator myself so this was a big slap in the face for me as I was fussing at him for something I do quite often when it comes to something like schoolwork or practicing an instrument. I was only trying to make him see the danger in waiting until the last minute so he wouldn’t have to deal with his mom when she got home. He was too involved with constructing a very impressive cowboy headquarters made out of Legos. Even though what he was doing was awesome, it wasn’t what his mom had for him to do. I remember a few very frustrating moments because I knew I couldn’t make him understand that he should finish his small tasks earlier in the day to avoid running out of time. I knew he had to learn for himself.
I know this isn’t a very good comparison, but it made me think about how terribly frustrating it is for God, and really anyone looking after me who wants me to do well, when I don’t listen to them. I’m too involved with my own thing and fail to anticipate, and more than a few times I’ve found myself knocked down because of it.
These little “minuscule” things are more “necessary” than we think, I believe. So, I guess I want to encourage all of us not to put off something that we know in our hearts is important. Obey God. Don’t ignore him until the last minute, because we don’t know when the last minute will be.
Read John 15:10-11 to find out what Jesus has to say about all this.
Pray that God will break our hearts and open our eyes so we aren’t numb Christians, that He’ll give us faith and the desire to obey Him so we can feel His peace and warmth.

Laura