Recently someone shared with me about a meeting they were in that had impacted them. During the meeting a name of someone was mentioned and the next thing you know, everyone in the room became as vultures over a dead carcass. They were all chiming in with shots to the character and the performance of this person. Finally, this leader (a real leader) spoke up. ‘Let’s look at the total of this person’s contributions, not just this last performance.’ This leader was then feeling the volley of critique coming at him. This attitude is not unique to his situation but rather rampant in our world. Losing sight of the big picture is the beginning of small-hearted behavior. One of my early pastoral mentors told me: ‘To some people you will only be as good as your last sermon, or wedding or funeral.’ The heart condition present in the meeting that the leader shared with me and the lesson that my mentor shared are the same. It is a heart condition of pettiness. It is the exact opposite of generosity. Where pettiness is allowed to grow, it soon takes over the culture of any organization, team or town. It thrives in people who have a propensity of pointing out the flaws in others, and hopes this will shield them from any criticism. In our own hurt and pain, we can be on the attack, rather than protecting one another. Some people have become ‘detectives’ on the search for flaws in others. Pettiness is basically being too fixated on the little things in life, and missing out on the big picture. Pettiness magnifies little things out of proportion. Pettiness lacks the generosity that we so freely receive from God. It lacks grace. Pettiness makes one bitter, not better. It is the result of a small heart. A child comes home and says: “Daddy, Daddy, I got 95 points out of 100 on my Math test” A petty father will say things like, what happened to the other 5 points? Pettiness lets the 5% become so big that it overwhelms the 95% obtained. The parable of the Unmerciful Servant is a lesson on forgiveness on the basis of being forgiven first. Jesus uses this parable to teach the disciples that the essence of forgiveness is to remember that we are huge beneficiaries of the greatest forgiveness ever given to men. A man owes the king 10000 talents. In modern terms, it would be equivalent to several million dollars. This man is unable to pay, so the king orders that he and his entire family be sold to repay the debt. After pleading his case and wanting to be put on some payment plan, the king cancels the debt. Freedom and forgiveness are extended. Unfortunately, the story does not end in gratitude. It ends in greed and ungracious behavior. The servant quickly forgets his canceled several million dollar debt. He pounces on one of his fellow servants over a small debt of a few 1,000 dollars. Imagine someone who just received a several million-dollar gift refusing to forgive another over a few 1,000? Pettiness! Grace is the opposite of pettiness. Like a coin, grace has two faces. The first side receives grace and mercy. The second side gives grace and mercy, gratitude and generosity. Rise above pettiness, live big-hearted and full of grace and forgiveness.
There are people in your life who need an extension of grace and forgivness – go ahead and be the one to bring it. Be generous.
Grace to you,
Pastor Bernie
January 27th, 2012 at 12:54 PM
Wow that was a blog,
So sad what condition the church (all of us) is in! We are all so flawed. Not only pettiness but pride, which I believe is that base of all sin. We really don’t have to look very deep to see our on sin…the last evil thought, harsh word, white lie and the list goes on. Can’t people remember the word? Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. I myself have chimed in when a co-worker (Christian) is complaining about someone at work. If only we could start re-presenting Jesus on this earth.
Thanks for the reminder Pastor B!
January 27th, 2012 at 1:22 PM
“In our own hurt and pain, we can be on the attack, rather than protecting one another. Some people have become ‘detectives’ on the search for flaws in others.”
Such insight, Pastor B. I’ve experienced God changing me in this way, to give me a heart of compassion toward those who pick others apart, to see their pettiness for what it is–pain.
January 27th, 2012 at 3:45 PM
Great comments Lina and Carol. Thanks for reading.
January 31st, 2012 at 5:53 AM
As I was taking part in the Bible journalizing this past Saturday morning at the Men’s Fellowship Breakfast the words from this blog Generous came to mind. As I read the scripture verses provided for our S.O.A. P. I realized a common theme the Word was communicating. Our Lord is gracious and merciful and cares about the needs of people.
Exodus 22:26 – 27; If you ever take your neighbor’s garment in pledge, you shall give it back to him before the sun goes down; For that is his only covering, his clothing for his body. In what shall he sleep? When he cries to Me, I will hear, for I am gracious and merciful.
Psalms 12: 4 Those who say, With our tongues we prevail; our lips are our own [to command at our will]–who is lord and master over us?
5 Now will I arise, says the Lord, because the poor are oppressed, because of the groans of the needy; I will set him in safety and in the salvation for which he pants.
Acts 4: 31; And when they had prayed, the place in which they were assembled was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they continued to speak the Word of God with freedom and boldness and courage.
32; Now the company of believers was of one heart and soul, and not one of them claimed that anything which he possessed was [exclusively] his own, but everything they had was in common and for the use of all.
These previous listed passages provide us with examples of how God feels about our needs and how he intends for our attitudes to be toward one another. How counter these examples runs against the mass culture of our current society. Today, I celebrated with my father his 95th birthday. He is still quick to tell of how the body of believers depended upon each other during the days of the Great Depression and how the gospel flourished because of their love for Jesus and each other. If our true desire today is to see God’s grace and mercy arise, our love for one another must also rise. Petty conversation that degrades others will count for nothing but love will endure forever.