Articles
Taking Small Steps
“TAKING SMALL STEPS”
Breaking large assignments or difficult tasks into smaller steps can help us in our lives. We think about small children and how they must learn to crawl before they walk. They take small steps at first holding on to adults or some object in the room. They eventually begin to accomplish the task of walking. Sometimes, when we are faced with a large assignment or task, contemplating the daunting task may cause us to give up before we even start.
As we think about our obligations to the Lord, we might feel inadequate or weighted down. However, thinking in terms of single acts of duty that we can achieve, everything is soon within our grasp. The apostle Paul stated in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” God has promised in His Word to help those who are seeking Him and wanting to do His Will. In Hebrews we read, “I will never leave or forsake you.”
Now that we are in the middle of February, how are your New Year’s Resolutions coming along? Have you already given up on them? Are there some things that you know need to be done? Are there things that you know you should be doing but aren’t? Perhaps if you break the challenges down into smaller steps you might be able to say, “I can do that.”
Think of these small steps to help you reach your spiritual goals:
I can read my Bible every day. Start small by reading a few chapters a day and gradually increase your reading. Beginning small and increasing will help you become a better Bible student.
I can increase my attendance. Start by increasing the number of times you attend in a week. Perhaps coming to a Bible class would be a great small step toward attending more and more. This can add up over the year giving you a year of faithful service, a year of glorifying God, and a year of gaining strength and confidence.
I can talk to others about Christ. Begin talking with a close friend, a neighbor, co-worker, or family member. Talk about Christ and the blessings that He brings into your life from your faith in Him. Who knows if this leads to something else?
I can increase my prayer life for the brethren. Praying for the physical health and well-being of all of our members is a great place to start. Increase that to pray for their spiritual health. As you do, you will begin to develop a stronger and more caring relationship with your brethren.
Small steps can help each of us reach those larger goals we all are striving to achieve. Developing an “I can do that” approach can help us all.
Written by Larry Schneider
