My husband and I were on our way to our son’s soccer game, having a normal conversation, when he dropped a major sentence bomb on me.

He said:

Drop mic. Grab a pen. Blog about it later.

Honestly, what we were talking about wasn’t biblical. Something about our kids not being elite athletes but they are kind and smart…blah, blah, blah.

But as soon as the words left his mouth, I was biblically blown away. How often do we focus on the details – the minutiae – and not give a second thought to our ultimate goal? I don’t know about you, but I’d say I do this a lot of the time.

For example, this week has been a struggle for me. I’ve been off my game. I can’t get into a good routine and there are loose ends that I just can’t seem to get tied. It’s been heavy and frustrating…and annoying to this Type A girl who craves structure and a tidy schedule. Then this morning, during a prayer, came my wake-up call.

Do those details matter?

Will they significantly affect my life?

How I am as a wife or mother or even a Christian?

Nope, almost all of the things that seem so out of my control and that have been dictating my mood this week truly don’t matter in the grand scheme of things.

I need to let go of the details (and maybe take a chill pill…or two…or three).

Q: What should our ultimate goal be?
A: A relationship with Jesus Christ

Q: What should our ultimate destination be?
A: An eternity in heaven

Q: Do the details matter?
A: Kind of?

You can’t ignore the details. Details are what make up our everyday lives. You need details to get from point A to point B. The details I’m dealing with this week need to be addressed, but can’t be what controls me. Not asking for God’s help from the start was my problem. Philippians 4:6 says, Don’t worry about anything, but pray for everything. So much truth!

Problem #1: Too much of a focus on the details can distract from the big picture.

Yeah, I know, pretty much like the hubby’s quote just re-worded. What I mean is – if you are always focusing on putting one foot in front of the other, when do you have time to look up? And when I say up, I mean, waaaaaaay up (heavenward, yo!).

Psalm 37:23-24 says, The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.

With God by your side, you don’t need to constantly look down at your feet. God will hold your hand and guide you. Focus on Him. And as far as the details? They matter, but don’t get so wrapped up in them that you forget your main goal in this life – a relationship with Him + Heaven.

Problem #2: We often times define our happiness by the success of the details.

Our happiness is not defined by the details or by the “things” in life – a new job, a new car, or a new home. Don’t get me wrong, these things are all good things. They also can make you feel happy, but it doesn’t last.

The happiness I’m talking about is deep, soul-quenching happiness. The feeling you get when you feel the Holy Spirit wrapped around you. The feeling you get when you know you are living out the purpose God created just for you. The feeling you get when your prayers are answered in an unexpected way. The feeling you get the first time you hold that little bundle of God’s precious creation in your arms.

That’s happiness. That’s the big picture. The rest is just the details.

What are your thoughts on big picture versus details?

Until Next Time,

Neko