Life is often compared to a mason jar, with rocks symbolizing our priorities. The key is to place the big rocks—the most important things—into the jar first. If you fill the jar with small rocks first, the big ones won’t fit. Likewise, we should focus on our most important priorities before worrying about the smaller, less significant things. It’s a common analogy, and I love it, but the reason I bring it up is not because I want to talk about priorities. It’s because I believe we sometimes think God only cares about the big rocks, as if none of the little things matter. As if God only watches over largest priorities, but our little anxieties, stresses, and emotions are off-grid, and he only has time to care for those if he’s finished with everything else.
Many people pray this way, too. I could be assuming, but I would guess that most of us focus on the big rocks when it comes to our prayer life. We focus on the biggest rocks because they feel the most important. But the other day I read a question from John Eldredge that convicted me, talking about the topic of our daily lives. He asked, “What would it be like to yield to Christ in the details of our lives?” What a simple, yet powerful reflection. God cares about our entire lives, not just parts of them. He cares about our minor stresses at home, the good weeks that occasionally leave us lonely, and even the very food we eat every day. God cares about it all.
Here is just one example from scripture about God’s intimate care of us. It’s from Psalm 139, and I could share the entire psalm, which I’d encourage you to read if you haven’t, but here are the first five verses:
“You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.*”
God cares about so much more than the moments when we are in the hospital or have a dangerous car wreck. He knows, watches, and perceives our very thought life. If you ever question that, look to the scriptures, and most importantly, to the gospel. God was so pained by the trouble of humanity that he sent his own Son to die, pouring out his wrath on him through the cross. With that sacrifice Jesus died, causing him to rise again and with his resurrection, give us new life. God cared enough about humanity to give us new life, so I think it’s fair to say that he cares about our daily burdens. God cares about our lives. God even cares what you eat for breakfast.
*Psalm 139:1-5