Small Potatoes

I am grateful for people who long to pray for me. And if you're wondering how you can, well, let me tell you. I am needy.

I have always struggled with the fear of man. My emotions have been dominated by other's opinions of me, and the first sign of conflict or disapproval will send me spiraling into anxious tears. 

My Good friends have always pointed me to my ultimate approval before the Lord.

But... That never seemed to cut through my anxiety.
It never dulled the pain.
And to be honest...
it seemed unrelated.
I knew I should be comforted by that truth, but all I could see was that it didn't fix the issue.
It didn't magically make them like me. Respect me.

Sometimes our hearts are dark places.

So, that's been my prayer. That the deep, true reality of my approval before the Lord would impact my desperate longing for approval. That it would transform my fear of man. 

A while ago, someone was preaching about faith that moves mountains, and it stuck with me. We think the miraculous thing is moving mountains. But the truly miraculous thing--the unbelievable thing--is the deeper, harder work of salvation. If he can accomplish that by faith, moving mountains is small potatoes!

In Christ I am approved before the creator of the universe, who has the highest, most unachievable standard of holiness and perfection. Why then do I worry and despair when faced with the opinions of men?

I've been praying through that for a few months now, and it's incredible how powerful it is. And how s l o w  it is. It's a daily choice, a daily prayer. It gets easier and easier every day, but I can tell this is a life long pursuit. So for now, whenever those feelings arise, I  am practicing calling it what it is:

small potatoes

An inconsequential amount or insignificant item or matter. Dating from the mid 19th century, the phrase suggests not bothering with undersized spuds while harvesting or buying the vegetable.