Is your main thing trivial?

He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam… 1 Kings 16:31

The verse above describes Ahab’s way of doing life. He was King of Israel, born into royalty. To Ahab, his daily actions were “trivial,” of little importance. His way of life included building false idols, literally making wooden images and leading many to worship the self-created gods. In Israel at that time, Ahab would have known the Scriptures, but he considered God’s Word “trivial,” of little importance. God’s Word had no influence on his life, his daily actions. He set his own direction, at least partially influenced by his dad, Jeroboam.

Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to arouse the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than did all the kings of Israel before him. Acts 16:33

Trivial, such a penetrating word to analyze one’s life. What do we consider trivial in the world today? The answer to this question has certainly changed much over the last 2 years. Culture has a way of re-prioritizing what is important in life. Seasons of life have a way of re-prioritizing what is important.

Ahab was royalty and had great influence and power as King of Israel. So, to compare our lives to his, well, not sure that it is a fair comparison. However, his life is a picture of the tendency to redefine what is important. Ahab made trivial, what should have been a priority. Maybe the culture of that day in Israel influenced his priorities, maybe, as mentioned, it was his dad. Whatever the case, something or someone influenced Ahab to make God’s Word trivial. Ahab believed his daily actions, his sins against a holy God, didn’t matter. And, he influenced many to believe the same, creating new gods to worship out of wooden images. Ahab’s re-prioritization of things that were important influenced others to follow. Suddenly, God’s Law was trivial in the land of Israel.

Leadership influences. Culture influences. Situations influence beliefs. People influence other people. Calls to re-prioritize or redefine our beliefs, making trivial things that should be a priority, are all around us. This is always true but seems to be emphasized in our culture today. At times, the world is over-whelming, frustrating, confusing, exasperating, hopeless.

Obviously, we can’t be blind to all that is going on around us, but we can have stability during the storm. We do control what we make trivial or, better said, secondary in our life.

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” Matthew 7:24-27

My favorite pastor in the world always used to say, “keep the main thing the main thing.” Everything else is secondary and should sprout from the foundation of the main thing.

What do you consider the main thing? What would those that you influence, maybe your kids, say that you consider the main thing?

Make sure your main thing in life is not something that should be trivial.

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