I’ve been reflecting on the idea that it’s the little things that make up our daily lives. The small habits we cultivate can lead, over time, to some great outcomes. I came across the following quote in an old book on Spiritual Leadership.

The character and career of a young person depends on how he or she spends spare time.

J. Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership (p.93)

Let’s Aspire to Great Things

That’s not only true for young people. It’s true for all of us. How we spend, or invest, our spare time will influence our character and our ‘career’ or our contribution to the wellbeing of others. Sanders goes on to point out that an abundant life is a byproduct of time wisely spent in things that have consequence.

As modern Americans we are fixated on leisure and entertainment. We seek a constant streak of dopamine hits to keep us feeling like we’re enjoying life. We scroll endlessly and stream constantly until there is no time for the reflection, and deep thought required to write or invent things that can inspire and help others.

Start Small But Stay Consistent

I sometimes buy into the idea that it takes huge blocks of time to accomplish a big project or make something worthwhile.
But a recent interest in making a temperature blanket showed me the fallacy of that kind of thinking.

In case you’re not on Pinterest or Instagram, a temperature blanket is a crocheted or knitted afghan made by using different colors for the high temperature of each day of a year in your home town. You choose a range of say 5-7 degrees and then assign about 12 colors to those ranges. You  knit or crochet one row each day with the appropriate color. It takes 365 days of small investments of time and energy, but in the end, Voilà, you’ve got a great new afghan or throw.

Do you know there’s even a Bible verse about this topic?

Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.”
Zachariah 4:10

So today I’m asking you to reflect on how you can invest some of your spare moments to work on something small with potential to turn into something great. Pray about it and see where God might lead you to act in a small but consistent way to do His will. Can you write a weekly prayer to share with others? Or a short devotional to encourage and uplift your fellow believers? Start a prayer chain or prayer meeting? Or meals for shut-ins in your church? Any of those, and many other ideas, can make a big difference if you’ll pursue and persevere until you have finished.

Great events, we often find, On little things depend,
And very small beginnings
Have oft a mighty end. . .
Letters joined make words,
And words to books may grow,
As flake on flake descending
Form an avalanche of snow.
Anonymous

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