The smallest can have the biggest impact

Eddie Gaedel is not a name people remember.

Yet he did something not many people get to do in their lives.

He played Major League Baseball.

Why was this a big deal?

Gaedel was only 3 foot 7 inches tall and weighed 65 pounds.

It was a game on August 19, 1951 with Eddie playing for the St. Louis Browns against the Detroit Tigers.

The goal was that Eddie would not swing, walk and they would put a pinch runner in who would score so the Browns would have won by a run.

Gaedel walked on four straight pitches, but the pinch runner was stranded at third base. The Tigers won the game 6-2.

Eddie never played in another major league game, he left the game with a career on base percentage of 1.000.

He only made 100 dollars for the game (Take it that was in 1951), but after television appearances went on to make $17,000.

The smallest can have the biggest impact.

This isn't just in size, but could be in any form.

From the shortest of speeches to the impact of one word, DUDE!

One of the greatest speeches of all time was Dr. Martin Luther King's "I have a Dream."

How long was that speech?

Take a second and think about it.

Was it 30 minutes or 15 minutes?

The answer, about three minutes.

One of the greatest speeches ever and it was only three minutes long.

This is a reason why I think a communion mediation can be done great in less than three minutes.

God is known for being powerful without having to say much.

In Zephaniah chapter 2 we see God throwing out punishment to the people that have treated him wrong for years.

He does this in only four verses to talk about Philistia.

Moab and Ammon was four, Assyria was three, then it came to Cush.

Listen to how many verses it took for Cush.

"You too, O Cushites,

Will be slain by my sword." Verse 12

One.

That's all it took.

Such power and all it took was 10 words.

Cush had it coming if you look at how they were acting towards God.

We can be just as damaging in less than 10 words.

Think about things that can be said that are damaging in less than 10 words.

"You are not the father."

"I am having an affair."

"That was the worst gift I have ever received."

"I've been cheating on you."

"I wish I was with my real dad."

"You are dead to me."

The list can go on and on.

God had a right to be mad at Cush, what's our excuse?

The smallest of lines can have the greatest of impacts.

This is one reason why the taming the tongue is such a big thing to God.

The book of Proverbs says a lot about watching what we say.

I can think back to a lot of damaging things I have said in less than 10 words.

How about you?

God wants us to watch what we say, because it is important.

I am going to try not to rip anyone down today and see what that does.

Would you like to join me?

Let me know if you do or don't and let me know tomorrow how it goes.

Have a great day.