Sweating The Small Stuff
"You have been faithful with a few things ... " Matthew 25:21
About four years ago, I went through a time when I felt spiritually "dry." I wasn't spending a lot of time with God. I wasn't spending much time serving others, even my family. I felt stuck, and I wasn't quite sure how to get un-stuck.
One day, as I was "praying on the go," I heard God say to me, "I don't want anything big from you. I just want you to be faithful to me. I want you to start with one small thing."
The one small thing God asked from me was this: Each morning, as soon as I got up, no matter how early or how late, I was to kneel beside my bed and give my day to God. I was just to acknowledge God when I woke up. Nothing big. Just a sentence or two.
Small? Yes. Easy? No. It probably took me more than four months to become consistent in doing this one small thing.
During the time of establishing this new routine, God was gracious to me. On the days I forgot to start my day on my knees, at some point in the day God would gently remind me: "I have asked you to be faithful in this one small thing. You forgot this morning, but you can give your day to me now."
As I established this new discipline, I found that I was becoming less spiritually dry. Once it became my routine, God gave me my next "one small thing."
Someday, I would like to do great big things for God, but for now I am happy doing the small things he calls me to do.
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9
--Leslie Porter
posted by L-Po @ 10:10 PM
2 Comments:
At 11:21 AM,
Anonymous said…
Leslie, Nice to read your blog. I have enjoyed your post. But this one especially hit home. The end of last year I had someone challenge me in four areas of my life. Faith,Family,Finances,Fitness. Sounds easy enough! WRONG. I too found myself on my knees looking for answers. Seek me was the word that God put on my heart.
Proverbs 8:17 "I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me." My faith was the area that I found to be the most important. I to sensed a dryness and so God started a new routine in my life also. Reading and memorizing. Seeking Intimacy with my Heavenly Father. Its not about me its about Him in me. He put a book in my hands to help guide and direct me.(Richars Fosters- "Celebration of Disciplines") He has taught me so much. Its been a great year in the little things.
John 10:27
"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me". As I listen and follow him I realize that I am one of His children. As you spoke Sunday about your child, I thought of how much he must love us because we are his children.
1 John 3:1
"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him." How do we know we are His children?
Romans 8:16
"The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children."
Again thank you for your thoughts and will leave this one last verse for you:
1 Samuel 3:10
The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."
Steve
At 6:09 PM,
L-Po said…
Thanks, Steve. I appreciate your thoughts and the verses you shared. Thanks, too, for your mention of Richard Foster's book. It's full of lots of wisdom.
--Leslie
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