Little things make a big difference.
Seeds growing. Learning to use a Mac. Maturing in faith. Understanding another person’s love language. Hearts mending. Fixing up a house.
These things take time. And God has a lot of it (thousands of years) compared to us (a day). So take a step back during this season of New Year’s resolutions, take a breath, and take an inventory of how God has worked in your life so far.
More by spoonfuls than truckloads, right?
More by the 10,000 small moments you experienced, small decisions you made, and small promises you believed than by the magnanimous, life altering drama. Even if tragedy struck you, or you got married or moved or made a baby, that drama is encompassed in the thousands of little things.
Moses saw the burning bush and led 2 million people to the promised land, but only after the small moments like his mother repeatedly whispering in his ear the promises of the Lord. David conquered Goliath, but only after the small moments like knocking a lizard off of a log with his slingshot, and then a coyote, and then a lion and a bear—small change compared to a pagan giant mocking God. You might be missing God’s whisper if you’re waiting for his thunder. You might be scared of the giant because you haven’t dealt with the lizard.
At the turn of the year, we say to our God, “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom … Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days” (Psalm 90:12,14). That sounds a lot more like God’s constant dripping of grace than a mountain top experience, doesn’t it?
As you contemplate goals or resolutions or life changes for the new year, I want to challenge you with this question: what kept you from making that change during the last 30 days? And a follow-up: what is something so constant, so unchanging, and so incredibly powerful that you don’t need to wait another moment for life change?
Run those numbers. Remember the words of Psalm 90. And may the wisdom of your 10,000 mini-resolutions surround your mega resolution with success.
“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity” (Ephesians 5:15,16).