"Details matter." - Jack Reacher.
It is the weekend, and it’s rainy; I must write. It has been too long.
This morning I got up and went to a place that I truly enjoy, Summer Moon Coffee. One of the things I appreciate about the place is their attention to details. Every aspect of their decor, merchandise, atmosphere, products, all seem well thought out and carefully drafted. And as an Enneagram 1, I am (painfully) hyper-aware of details. So this morning while waiting for my drink, I used the ladies room (TMI?) and noticed the toilet paper holder on the wall. Like I said, hyper-aware. I’ve never seen another one like it, farm-housy and industrial and unique all at once. It's as if the people of Summer Moon have carefully selected every detail to be classy and quality, right down to the toilet paper holder. It caught my attention today and as I left with my coffee, details swirled around in my thoughts.
Frequently in our busy lives it becomes easy to skip details. Especially if they take extra time or energy. We can be quick to take shortcuts, skimp on quality or skirt around the edges and do just enough to get by. I recently have found myself falling into this mindset in my work - and that troubles me. So today repentance and fresh redirection!
We clearly serve a God of details. So much so that reading certain books of the Old Testament can be nearly mind numbing. From specific measurements of the Ark in Genesis 6 to the extensive specifications of the temple in 1 Kings 6, and weights of metals Solomon had to use for the temple in 1 Chronicles 28, God gave explicit instructions on every detail of what the people were to build. The descriptions are so vivid in fact that while reading, it becomes easy to actually imagine these structures and visualize them in our minds.
And we shouldn’t stop there. Not only are many dry engineering details laid out in biblical blueprints, but every detail of His creation and splendor is painted for us. We have numerous beautiful illustrations depicting nature, stars, flowers, the sun, winds, waves…every good scene. Grains of sand, blades of grass, feathers of a bird. Like a canvas with intricate colors being carefully and thoughtfully brushed on and swooped over. We can see that God cares deeply about all these things and never missed an opportunity paint a beautiful picture for us. Let’s not forget the intricate details of being knitted together in our mothers wombs…numbering the hairs on our heads and on and on. Can you just take in all the details?!
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. Psalm 19:1-2
Finally, perhaps the most described place in the Bible: Heaven. We read in Revelation and Ezekiel (and others) the stunning details of the Kingdom, angels, the throne and the atmosphere. It is all complex and marvelous at the same time. Unimaginable.
As we think of these things, perhaps we should ask why God would find them important enough to be written? Why are they important enough to take up so many pages of the Bible? I imagine it is because they are important. God did not demonstrate taking a shortcut on a single thing. He did not take the easy road, nor did He send the people down easy roads. In fact, we should be grateful that no shortcuts were taken in our design and creation! Can you imagine the universe functioning with missing parts? Can you imagine our bodies being formed with corners being cut?
So how is this relevant to us today? Perhaps it shows us how we ought to approach things…with care, consideration, with high standards. High attention to detail. God thought it important enough to share the particulars so we can see the emphasis on every part being significant. Every part matters and plays a part. It also seems these details show the importance of quality. He designed all things with purpose and intention, and took care to design them perfectly.
You see, I think God values quality far more than quantity. Quality in our following him, our faith, our hearts, our words, our motives, our actions. It's not how much we do but how well we do them. The intention of our heart is important. It's not how fast we can shortcut the task but how we steward it. We ought guard against neglecting details, and be diligent in doing the best we can, in every opportunity we can. This means giving attention to details even when it takes a little extra time. Not cutting corners in our work, but always considering quality a priority. Not short changing relationships, but always study the details of our peoples and thoughtfully care for them.
We have such a wonderful God who has shown us how.
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do,
do everything for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31
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