[“God is in the Small Stuff” —YouVersion Devotional by Bruce & Stan - Day 5]
“We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.” 2 Thessalonians 1:3 (NIV)
“God Wants You to Grow.”
“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 to the 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 a 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! It takes repetition, consistency, reinforcement, and practice. Otherwise Fido will look at you as if to say, “You’ve got to be kidding!”
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 in 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 the 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 the details of 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 you will experience the benefits of your growth.”
