Bigger Fish

In the last couple of weeks I've fretted over my wife going for a second mammogram (Praise God, it was all good).  I've met with and prayed for a dear friend struggling with a wayward teenager and not knowing what to do, and I can see the pain on his face.  I've met with couples and individuals struggling to save their marriage after mistakes or the busy-ness of life catching up with them.  I've mourned for a friend who lost a child, an 8-year-old boy.  I've prayed for friends in my LIFE Group that have lost jobs.  I've planned outreach events to help needy families in our community.  I've prayed and prayed over negotiations our church is having with a bank over our property, and I've tried to prepare a few sermons with God's inspiration.  I heard there was an election going on, too?

I voted yesterday.  Some of the people I voted for won, some didn't ('Cause, you know, there was more than one election going on).  I've chuckled a bit today at the hyperbole on the internet.  Some people are really, really happy.  Some are really, really angry.  Some, thankfully, are calling for prayers for all our leaders.  I simply feel that I've got bigger fish to fry.  It's not that I'm disinterested in politics or who won, it's just that no matter who won I was going to have to heat up the oil and fry the same fish this week and next week.

No matter who is President, I'm still praying on that land.  I'm still heartbroken for friends with lost children and lost jobs.  I'm still trying to help friends with family issues.  I'm still grateful my wife's health is good.  I'm still excited about taking my boy to a football game this weekend.  I'm way, way more heartbroken for my grieving friends that lost their little boy than over any election that didn't go my way.  And I'm way, way more excited about going to a football game with my son than I am about any election that did go my way.

Some people will say I need to take politics more seriously.  I say that politics will always come far, far behind my personal faith in Jesus, my family, my friends, and God's ministry in and through me.  I care about politics, it's just not the biggest fish in my fryer, and those big fish take up most of my time, effort, and energy.  And, friend, I hope you have some bigger fish, for you were not created to be a just a national citizen.  You were created to be a citizen of the Kingdom.  You were created to be a son, daughter, wife, husband, mother, or father.  You were created to be a friend and neighbor.  It's okay to be fired up or disappointed with politics, just make sure you're frying those biggest fish first.  For me, those bigger fish seem much more important to who God is calling me to be in Christ.