Neglecting Little Things (Part II)

By Odon Bulamba (22 November 2002)

1 Timothy 4:14 do not neglect your gift, which was given to you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.

God gives us gifts freely. The nature around us is a gift and when you breathe, it doesn’t cost you anything because it is a gift. The sun, moon and stars are all gifts and to be a human being is a gift, God gives all of this freely. Sometimes we neglect nature and those beside us. A refugee is regarded as a fly, when it dies nobody cares and a lot of people think refugees are synonym to poverty. Jacob, David and Joshua were refugees because God would meet them in another country, not their own.

Are we New Zealanders? No! We are refugees because this is not our country for our citizenship is in heaven. If we had New Zealand citizenship we could live here for eternity but when we die, we are buried and that’s it. God gives us international passports in heaven and our visas are eternal. Heaven is a place where we don’t fight for money or kill each other, but it is a place of peace, joy and living in the presence of God.

If you want God’s blessing don’t neglect anything, maybe through the person you neglect God will do amazing things. Many Christians say they know the Bible but don’t have love or they don’t respect others, and when this happens, neglect comes in.

Acts 6:1 “now at this the disciples were increasing in number and a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews because their widows had been overlooked in the daily serving of food”.

I don’t know why they neglected the widows but we should never neglect a creature of God, especially human beings. If you neglect a human being, you might neglect God Himself because in Hebrews it says, “how can you love God if you don’t love your neighbor?” People neglect others because they are poor, dirty, smelly and have no education but they forget who these people are before God.

Do not neglect anybody; especially those who you think are weak because sometimes they can see things you can’t. One day Elijah was hungry so God sent a raven to feed him. Ravens eat rubbish and live in very dirty places but because Elijah didn’t neglect God’s messenger, he was satisfied. We are not allowed to neglect the prayers of others or gifts that people have, we must respect each other with the love of Jesus. Who can raise their hands and say that God doesn’t respect them? God is very great because He keeps on respecting us even though we are nothing before Him. Why don’t we respect God and others? He loves us even though we are weak so why don’t we love Him?

We must not neglect anything because you can expect consequences later. A student who neglects his studies will see the results at the end of the year, and after failure his life won’t be the same. Sometimes we say that God is with us and we walk under His glory but if you neglect even a little child, for God, you have spoiled everything. You can sing and perform miracles but if there is no love, everything you do is in vain. Love covers many things and when we are neglectful it destroys the fruit of love.

Pray that God may help us not to neglect anything in our lives, whether it is God’s word, His servants or anything that God has created.