LITTLE SHARKS, BIG JELLY FISH
MATTHEW 25:21

I remember as a child going various swimming holes and the beaches of North Carolina with my dad. My dad, a retired special forces sergeant major, had a strange hobby of finding "buried treasure" with his metal detector. So while my dad went up and down the beaches, banks, and riverbeds of North Carolina, I would always play in the water.

Every time I would go swimming in the ocean, someone inevitably would warn me: Watch out for sharks! Of course, I always do, but I've never did see one. I've never even heard the "bom-bom-bom-bom" music that plays in the background when sharks come near. And it's a good thing, because once you hear the music, it's probably too late.

I've been warned to watch out for sharks, but no one has ever said to me, "Watch out for the jelly fish." So what happens one day while I am training to become the next world champion boogie boarder. I am stung by a jelly fish--on both of my legs, just below my knees. As a seven year old boy, I had never experienced so much pain and agony in my life. What was worse was the two hour ride back home from the ocean.

However,The fact is, jelly fish are far more dangerous. Each year they kill more people than sharks do.

Today, as a grown man with children of my own I take a walk each day outside, and even though I am highly allergic to bee stings no one has ever said to me, "Watch out for the bees." Yet, bees kill more people each year than sharks and jelly fish combined.

We tend to spend our lives worrying about the sharks (whether we ever go near the water or not), because sharks are big and scary. And we tend to ignore real threats because, by themselves, they're not all that intimidating.

Don't let the little things in life fool you. You ignore them at your own peril.

Every good marriage...every good employee...every good business succeeds because they've learned to pay attention to the little things.

Jesus told a story about a servant who was given some money to manage, and because he managed it well, he was rewarded by his master. The master said...

You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. (Matthew 25:21)

Our greatest wins and losses in life result from our ability to master the seemingly minor details of life.

• Reading a few verses of scripture and spending some time in prayer each day may not seem significant to some, but its long-term effect is revolutionary.

• Making the effort to bite your tongue may not seem that important, but in the long run it could save a relationship.

• Giving a customer a little extra attention might not seem like such a big deal, but it could pave the way to your next promotion.

Don't give the sharks more attention than they deserve--especially at the cost of ignoring the jelly fish. It's the little things that hold us back, and the little things that move us forward. They're our greatest danger and our most powerful weapon.