Big

 The Problem with Big is not the Problem

We are all distressed about something big.  Depending on who you listen to and what ax they are grinding here is a list of the ‘Bigs’ that are out to ruin us.  There is big oil which is destroying the environment.  There is big pharma which is creating addictions and illnesses that they will treat with their new drugs, for a wallet-breaking fee.  There is big Ag which is producing more and more food of lower and lower quality and poisoning us in the process.  There is big sugar which is killing us one treat at a time.  What about big government which wants to micro-  manage every detail of our lives?  Big healthcare has removed any sense of higher calling from medicine and turned it over solely to profiteers.  Let’s not forget the big global conspiracies that want to create a one world government in which all people become slaves to the ruling elite.  Worst of all may be big tech which is moving to control and manipulate what you think on every subject.

I am not denying that many of these are, in fact, problems and in some cases actually evil. But Big is not really as much of a problem as we might think.  In fact, God has a great history of bringing big-shot individuals and organizations to nothing.  Egypt seemed as invincible as a huge crocodile.  She ruled North Africa and everyone was convinced that her Pharaoh was a god. Ten plagues later he was bribing God’s people to leave. The Assyrians took military cruelty and power to a whole new level.  The Assyrians come to Jerusalem in mass, they trash talked Judah’s God and king.  The Assyrian king offers the defenders 2,000 horses if they could put riders on them, knowing they couldn’t.  Surrounded by 185,000 troops, 2,000 cavalry would accomplish little.  But when you smack talk God long enough, you can expect to get smacked.  Overnight, 185,000 soldiers are killed by The Angel of the Lord, the king runs away and is murdered by two of his sons.  Babylon is invincible, both as an empire and as a city.  Armies could attack the city all they like and it would be like tiny waves beating themselves against a stone wall; nothing would happen.  So confident was Belshazzar that while the Persian-Mede armies laid siege, he organized a massive orgy.  But the party was interrupted by a disembodied hand writing on the wall, “MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.”  Briefly the message means, “Measure, measure, you have come up short”.   The great Medo-Persian Empire was advanced, expansive, rich and powerful.  At its peak, it stretched for over 3,000 miles and was the last nation to bring the people of Afghanistan into compliant obedience.  How hard is that?  But their purpose was to return the Jews from exile and to rebuild the temple.  Dariaus from all his grandeur was a pawn in God’s plan, just a bit player.  We could go on and talk about Alexander the great Greek, no one could stand against him, one of the greatest military minds of all history.  What about Rome?  An empire of iron, brought to its knees by someone from an insignificant town in a tiny province whose followers refused to be intimidated by power, might, wealth or death. 

Relative to their world and time all of these “Bigs” were much bigger than any Big we can name today.  The problem with Big is not the problem.  The problem with Big is we fail to realize how transitory and inconsequential these Bigs actually are. In 1000 years, the most powerful, evil cabal you can imagine will be nothing compared to the most humble disciple .  What will it benefit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his very soul?  

It might be that all the forces at work in our world today will end and destroy the U.S.A., Democracy and personal freedom.  It might be God’s way of ushering in a new season of spiritual awakening, holiness, and evangelistic zeal.  If that is the case, so be it.  What we need to remember is that the only “Big” we need to focus on is our big God.  To do that we must be a people of worship.  In every case I mentioned in the history of Israel and the early church was marked by intense worship on the part of the people dedicated to God.  If you are not a person of worship, then the evil ‘bigs’ of the world ought to scare you.  But if you are a committed disciple none of these are a problem.  So, here is what we can do to keep things in perspective, say as we face things that might worry you, “Big God, little devil, Big God, little problems.”