In the little things

I did not think that I would have a word that defined my year.  I have never been someone who starts off their year with a word that will define the year or that they will meditate on.  And yet, this year, a word chose me.  That word is obey. 

I talk about obeying all the time to my kids.  All the time, right?  But God has clearly told me and shown me over the last few months that I need to wait and obey.  

I was on the phone with a friend a few of weeks ago and we were past the little talk and onto the real talk.  The talk that says "how is your soul?"  She was sharing with me some encouragement that had been given to her about doing what we do well.  About whatever phase of life that we are in, we are to do it whole-heartedly.  That instantly resonated with the current stirrings of my heart.  

I have been reading through the book of Luke recently and Luke 16:10 says, “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much" and I was convicted.  I was convicted about my attitude of the little things, my obedience in the little things.  
My world right now is in the little things.  I am raising little people, do little tasks for them all day long with often seemingly little outcome.  I am constantly picking up little toys, folding little clothes, putting together little meals to serve little people, answering 1,001 little questions and resolving little problems.  My daily job of mom and wife is made up of activities that are not changing the world, that are not leading the headlines and are not making huge daily impacts.  They are little things.

And yet it is the little things that matter.  God said those faithful with little will be faithful with much.  The little things in our lives need to take priority sometimes in order to make big changes.  We first have to be faithful with the little, in order to receive and be entrusted with much.  All great things start with small steps. 

And while I am simultaneously consumed with the little things, I am going through big things, deployment and more, that requires large amounts of obedience.  Sometimes I think that it is easier to obey in the big things because they are right in front of us and we have to.  It is easier to ignore the small things in our lives, the things that need to changed but are easier to hide or let slide by as acceptable.  Complaining, gossip, judgement, impatience, jealousy, bitterness and more.  In small doses, these things are all viewed as acceptable by most people.  And rarely are you going to confront someone on being too impatient with their kids or spouse or complaining too much about their daily grind.  We just accept these things in our selves and in others quietly, justify our thoughts and actions to ourselves and move on.  BUT little things add up.  Little bad attitudes grow quickly.  Little habits get ingrained fast.  And matters of the heart are not to be taken lightly.  God's word is clear that little wrongs are big to him and his commandments about our words (Psalm 34:13: Keep your lips from evil and your tongue from speaking lies, Ephesians 4:29: do not let unwholesome talk come out of your mouth but only what is helpful in building others up), our attitudes and actions towards others (Romans 12:10 Honor one another above yourselves), and attitudes of the heart (Psalm 51:10: a pure heart, Psalm 15:2: who does what is righteous and speaks truth from the heart) are areas where little changes make big impacts.

And ultimately, that is what my life is right now.  Shaping little hearts.  Everyday I am called on to be the mom to three precious kids.  They rely on me for everything.  And they watch me constantly.  They watch my attitude, they watch my actions, they watch my obedience.  And then they copy it. 

God has called out some very specific things in my life and he is telling me to obey.  Some of those things are everyday choices.  Some things I have to wait.  But through it all, if I want to be faithful with the much that I know he has planned for my future, I need to be faithful in the little that I am in now.  All these little things I do now will shape these kids into big people that will have to choose to live rightly on their own.  And truly, there is nothing I love more than the three littles that I am surrounded by so God's challenge to be an example in obedience with love could not be more important.