A small change can make a big difference.
We sometimes think that if we can only make a 10-degree change, it’s not worth the effort. Big delusion!
Doing one thing differently can have profound effects on many fronts.
We recently replaced our kitchen/dining room light-colored vinyl with a darker tile. Nothing else changed, but the entire area seems much smaller. Small change = big difference.
Do you remember that all-important first haircut for your baby boy? He sat down in the barber chair a baby and came out a young man. Small change = big difference.
How about painting a room, moving around furniture, washing your car, purchasing a new piece for your wardrobe, sending a card, calling someone to simply say hi, making incremental deposits into a savings account. All are small changes that produce big differences.
Those differences may be seen in perception or attitude, in ”surfacey” aspects (size or look), in amount, or in deep core changes. Sometimes they present in all of these ways.
This same paradox can be applied to our spiritual lives. Doing one small thing differently can directly and sometimes dramatically change us spiritually—for the better or worse.
Thus, it is to our benefit to develop positive spiritual habits (or disciplines if you like that word).
Day-to-day living in our increasingly secular culture has a way of beating us down, trampling our faith over time—little by little.
Implementing certain faith-sustaining practices (no matter how small), can be wildly effective at countering faith-deadening secularism.
Here are five disciplines that quickly came to mind:
- Read and meditate on at least one Scripture verse every day. Lysa TerKeurst, New York Times bestselling author and speaker and President of Proverbs 31 Ministries, says she chooses only one verse each day because her mind is not capable of processing more than that. Maybe even work on memorizing passages (join my son and I as we participate in Ann Voskamp’s Romans Project where we memorize three chapters of Romans this year).
- Tell yourself one biblical truth every morning or choose one for the entire week.
- Connect daily with another believer or two to encourage each other.
- Develop a habit of praying—in the shower, before you get out of bed, during your mind-numbing tasks, on your drive.
- Purposely fill your mind with worship and praise by regularly attending church and listening to Christian music.
All of these are practices that can be incorporated easily into any lifestyle. They are small changes that can make a dramatic difference in your faith.
The key is to not just aspire to implement change but to actually schedule it in, much as you would a new floor.
A small change can make a big difference.
Why not begin a new spiritual habit—today.
“Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:7a–8).
Question for you: What other spiritual practices would you add to the list? Let’s encourage each other in the comments.
I am excited to share that I’ll be guest posting for the encouraging life coach Laurie Wallin tomorrow on the topic of being surprised by the unlikely. Hope you don’t miss it.
Yours in grace ≈
Julie
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I am a blessed wife, mother of four, and follower of Jesus Christ, celebrating each day through His grace. I write, edit, and speak as God leads.
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