One of the many blessings of our modern era is the preponderance of tools that we have to make sure that we do the things that we know we are supposed to do. An electronic toothbrush monitors whether I have brushed my teeth for a full two minutes, something I am fairly confident I never did as a kid. My watch reminds me when I haven’t been on my feet in a while to help make sure my body gets the movement it requires. During some of my most consistent writing seasons, I kept a calendar where I simply crossed off the date every time I wrote. I may have only jotted down one or two sentences that day, but as long as my fingers hit the keyboard in a productive fashion it counted. The chain of unbroken days kept me motivated to write the next day and then the day after that. Over time, those words on the screen added up to paragraphs which added up to substantive output. Whether it is a technological device or a simple checklist, having a way to monitor and confirm that each day we are doing what we have committed to do is a helpful motivation for doing it every day thereafter.
While we can all understand the positive effects of brushing our teeth thoroughly each day or maintaining consistency with an exercise plan, we sometimes fail to consider how the “small” things we do every day can add up to a significant impact for the Kingdom of God. We rightfully celebrate the days where we have a Gospel conversation or where we witness someone repenting and placing their faith in Jesus, but we fail to ponder what we need to do day in and day out to open the door that will lead to those things. We discount the everyday habits that result in adorning the Gospel in everything (Titus 2:10). Speaking words of grace to the flustered grocery store clerk may not seem noteworthy, but if it allows us to build a relationship that can be used by God to point that clerk to Him, then that simple act of love is in fact something worthy of commendation. We may not see the impact of every small thing that we do for the sake of Christ, just like I didn’t immediately see the results of my two-minute brushing routine. But over time those little things add up. What we commit to doing every day – to prefer others over ourselves (Phil. 2:3), to be slow to speak and quick to listen (James 1:19), to be people of truth rather than falsehood (Eph. 4:25) – may not seem to have the impact of a sold-out Christian conference, but they are all means that God can use to draw people ever closer to Him.
So, the question remains – what will our everyday commitments be? What can we commit to doing today and each day thereafter to make a difference for God’s Kingdom? This doesn’t mean that we neglect the “big moments” – if we can share the Gospel with someone, we should certainly do so (just like I should go to the dentist every six months even with my everyday brushing routine). But let us not neglect the seemingly small things we can do for Jesus every day for the sake of only wanting the major moments. We do not know how God will use the “minor” commitments we make to live for Him to impact someone else in a major way. We may not have the opportunity to get on stage and preach the Gospel today, but there is something we can do today to make a difference for Jesus. And if we are committed to doing that today, and every day after that, God will use that for His glory and for our good.
So, the question bears repeating – what will our everyday commitments for the Kingdom be? What can we “put on” and “put off” today to be more like Christ? How can we pledge to show love to another each day so that in doing they may know more of the love of God? What investment of time, resources, or energy can we make today and every subsequent day, so that our lives may be increasingly used for the sake of the Kingdom? If we are committed to getting twelve hours of standing time due to our watch beeping at us, we can certainly dedicate ourselves to pursuing some specific act of service or grace each day in order to glorify Christ. And the more that we fulfill that commitment day in and day out, the more it will become the general pattern of how we live, which means the more our lives will look like Christ’s.
As we ponder these things, may we also remember that the God we serve says that the one who is faithful in little will be faithful in much (Luke 16:10). May we commit to do the small things each day to His glory and trust that as we do so, He will use them, and us, in mighty ways.
