Little Things Have Consequences

Did you ever wonder if God is keeping score, keeping count of the good things you do, and possibly weighing them against the bad things you do?  If your actions and deeds were placed on a balance scale, which ones would be the heaviest?

I don't think God keeps score ... although there are books that will contain your life's record of things done in the flesh ... and if your name is not found in the "Book of Life" as one of those washed by the blood of Jesus, those books will be opened and what is written in them will be made known.  (Revelation 20:11-15)

What I want to make you aware of is, that there is more to be concerned with than just the big sins.  Yes, I know that sin is sin; but we do classify them into groups or categories, don't we.  The other guy's sin is worse than mine, right?  Any sin potentially, has the effect of keeping God at a distance.

That's why we need Jesus to stand not only with us, but between us and God the Father.

Do you know that the little things we do, things God can't be pleased about, have far reaching consequences that you may not be aware of.  The little things in our life that may not be sinful, but yet aren't as pleasing to the Lord as they could or should be ... sometimes make me wonder, just how much trouble they really cause us.

Again ... not "big" sins ... but things we have grown used to doing.  Maybe they have become part of our flawed character; flaws like impatience, carrying a grudge, gossip, no compassion for others ... and the list goes on and on.  These are little things that most likely won't keep you out of heaven, but will keep you from being like Christ. 

Have you ever had the Lord speak to you?  I was thinking about this one day and I heard or felt in my spirit something that caught my attention.  It wasn't a voice.  But yet the words came to me as if I was reading silently from my Bible.  You know, sometimes when you read the Word it just goes into your mind.  At other times, a scripture goes through your mind and lodges (finds a home) in your spirit and lives there.  It becomes real to you.

I hesitate to say that God spoke to me, but, these words were established in my heart ... "Little things have consequences in the spirit realm.  They hinder your prayers."

I've always liked this promise in 1st John 3:22 ... "Whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight."
 
So now I'm thinking ... if we don't receive ... could it be because we don't do those things that are pleasing to Him?  The little things and their consequences?

Consequences such as … being unable to enter into spiritual warfare on behalf of your children when they ask you to stand with them in prayer.  That is a big one.  You don't want to be hindered with a need like that.

How many hours have Peg and I spent praying for our two grown girls and their children?  How are we going to pray effectively for them if our prayers are hindered? 

The consequences will fall, not on you, but upon those you are praying for ... if your prayers are hindered; which means they will be ineffective, inadequate or lacking in power.

An example of this is found in 1st Peter 3:7 ... "You married men should live considerately with your wives, with an intelligent recognition of the marriage relation, honoring the woman as physically the weaker, but realizing that you are joint heirs of the grace of life, in order … that your prayers may not be hindered and cut off. Otherwise you cannot pray effectively."   (Amplified Bible)

So what does it mean … "your prayers are hindered?"  I can easily see from the Amplified version that it could mean, "we can't pray as effectively" as we should because of something displeasing to the Lord that is still in our lives.  It may not even have to be sin.

In the original Greek, this word "hinder" is "ek-kop'-to" and means to exscind.  Here's where it get a little worrisome or scary. 

Exscind ... alludes to the power to "cut off," or "frustrate" ... which circles back to the real meaning of "hinder." 

So when Peter uses the word (hinder/exscind) he is saying the little things in our life, can prevent your prayers from ... "progressing, succeeding, or being fulfilled." 

To me, that is one scary consequence.

What I really don't want one of the consequences to be is ... that God Himself, (for whatever reason) would somehow be … "hindered" … either in hearing our prayers or His willingness to give us the answers to our prayers.

Little things have consequences.