Baby Steps Forward

 Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies. (Mother Teresa)

“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities." (Luke 16:10)

Faithfulness in the little things may seem like a bit too much when you are struggling to get the 'big things' right at the moment, but it is the cumulative effect of the little things that actually helps you to get the 'big things' right! The often overlooked 'little things' in life are the ones we should spend our time on, not just the big ones. This might be the time we spend in prayer, thinking prayer has to be a certain amount of time on our knees, lifting holy words to Jesus, but prayer is so much more. It is the simple ones that add up throughout the day. The moment you express one thought of gratitude for some blessing you enjoy is a moment of prayer. The simple 'God help them right now' lifted up when you observe someone struggling with a flat tire on the side of the road, even when you are not able to help them with that need, is a prayer God will honor. The 'small prayers' add up - meaning that we are taking time with him throughout the day, not just at one specific moment.

Faithfulness involves consistency. We oftentimes find ourselves starting out well, waning a bit down the road, then recommitting to the process. That up and down of daily life is so real to all of us. It is the small steps that add up to the bigger ones - keep that in mind. Every moment we commit again is a positive step in the right direction. Even if we have to 'recommit' ten times over, God isn't put off by our lack of progress. He is just concerned that we make it to the destination! Yes, he would like us to commit, put our heads down, and just 'get er done', but he knows the frailty of our human will. He knows there will be times we will struggle with what our minds commit to do, but our bodies resist so much. This is why he offers us his power and strength - knowing ours will be insufficient to get the job done. The little steps in the right direction all add up and each time we step into his power or strength, we will find those steps just a bit easier. The new year may be filled with tons of baby steps, but each one matters. God doesn't want us to 'bite off more than we can chew' as much as he wants us to be able to 'digest' what we have right now. Just sayin!