From God is in the Small Stuff by Bruce and Stan:
“Dear brothers and sisters. . . we are thankful that your faith is flourishing and you are all growing in love for each other. ~2 Thessalonians 1:3 NLT
When it comes to progress, there are no shortcuts. If you want to improve in any area of your life, you have to pay attention tot he small stuff. You have to take one step at a time.
Say you want to get into shape physically or lose some weight (or both). Contrary to the promises made by miracle programs, machines, and drugs, there is no such thing as instant success. You have to pay attention to the details by eating and exercising correctly every day in order to realize long-term results. The same principle applies to improving your mind. There’s no quick way to get a college degree. And even if the diploma isn’t your goal the only way to accumulate useful knowledge is through disciplined consistent study. You can’t even train a dog overnight!
Well, we’re not kidding. It’s a fact of life. To grow in any area, you’ve got to do the little things over and over again. The principle of growth through detail is especially true in your spiritual life, yet people think that by praying once in a while (when they get into trouble), by going to church twice a year (on Christmas and Easter, of course) and by cracking open a Bible once in a blue moon, God will smile on them and give them blessing upon blessing.
Make no mistake about it. God won’t love you any more just because you do certain things. His love for you is always the highest love. But you will experience certain spiritual benefits if you pay attention to spiritual details. Like reading Bible consistently. Or talking to God on a regular basis. Or helping others in need when the need is clear. We’re not talking about spiritual legalism. Paying attention to your spiritual life is all about discipline.
God wants you to grow spiritually because when you do, your life becomes more meaningful and more satisfying. Just like you feel when you make the consistent effort to improve physically, you will feel great about yourself when you make the effort to improve spiritually. And even better than that, the people around will experience the benefits of your growth.
In the Small Stuff
Recognize that you can’t get holy in a hurry.
Little is much if God is in it.
A spiritually mature individual places more importance on God’s internal presence than on the world’s external signs.
The person who looks up to God rarely looks down to anyone.
It’s better to run behind God than in front of Him.
Rejoice in the Lord’s discipline as well as in His blessings.
Live the Christian life as if the Lord where guiding your steps
Be cautious in telling others what you can do, but be bold in asserting what God can do.
The person dependent on Christ has the amazing ability to maintain a steady ship on a stormy sea.
Realize your inadequacy without God and your sufficiency with God.
Faith does not demand miracles, but often accomplishes them.
Make God’s provision the foundation of your performance.
You will never be humble before God if you think that He needs you.
It’s a good thing to delight in the Lord, but how much better when the Lord delights in you.
Bruce Bickel and Stan Jantz, “God is in the Small Stuff” (Uhrichsville, Ohio 1996) 36-39
