When was the last time you spoke to God?
If you've not grown up in a Christian household. This question seems strange and even arrogant. You may think, "Can a person really speak to God?" The truth is, yes, absolutely, 100%. The Bible is full of conversations between God and humankind. In all reality, the Bible is God speaking directly to you! That's why Paul wrote to Timothy, "All scripture is inspired by God, and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." That means God inspired men to write the biblical texts so that you and I would have guidance on how this whole thing called life is supposed to go. No secrets, only mysteries. And by that I mean, God has given you and me both everything we need to know in order to live a godly and righteous life this side of heaven. There is no secret when it comes to Christian living. There are, however, mysteries in life that will require faith on your part. But more on that later. The most important thing you need to know now is that God wants a relationship with you. And He wants that relationship to be strong. Our best evidence of that is found in the Bible. Because the Bible is full of moments where God speaks to people about what He wants them to do and how He wants them to live. Which brings up two principles. The Principle of the Moment and The Principle of Small Things Often.
Do you remember the first thing Rick ever said to me? It was that our salvation, the moment we accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, was the greatest moment in our life. But that it was just a moment. And how you spend the rest of your life needed to be prioritized. And so "a moment" is when everything in your life comes together for a special purpose. It is when God's mysteries are revealed and all of the things God has been teaching you come to fruition. The moment you accepted Christ is a great example. Or if you accepted Christ early in life, think of a time when everything the Lord had been teaching you made sense. It was like a light bulb going off in your mind, and you knew the who, the what, the why, and the how of circumstances in your life. All of it came together at the same time, in that moment. The Principle of the Moment is that God will give you special moments just like this. And when you recognize them, your purpose in life will be fulfilled and God will be honored and glorified.
But that is just one part of the equation. Because everything in your life, day in and day out, is preparation for your moments. And since it is a complete mystery when your moments will arrive. You need to focus on the next principle. The Principle of Small Things Often. Which is the day to day habits, disciplines, and behaviors we spend the majority of our time on this earth doing. Eating, sleeping, texting, playing video games. You name it. It's all small things that you do often. And these small things you do are a culmination of who you are and who you are becoming.
The Principle of the Moment -- You will have moments in your life designed specifically by God to fulfill your purpose in this world.
The Principle of Small Things Often -- Your life is a culmination of small disciplines developed over long periods of time.
Have you ever heard the saying, "You are what you eat?" Or "How you practice is how you play?" These are just a couple of examples of the principle of Small Things Often. John Maxwell says it this way, "Small disciplines repeated with consistency every day lead to great achievements gained slowly over time." And the opposite is true too. There is a difference between disciplining yourself to eat well and disciplining yourself to eat poorly. Ten years down the road the outcomes of those disciplines will be noticeable.
So let's turn this principle to the spiritual realm. As Christians, we are called to become like Christ. Which is why Paul tells the church in Ephesus,
Therefore, be imitators of God as dearly loved children and live in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.--Ephesians 5:1-2
In the book of Genesis, in chapters 12-25, you will find the life and journeys of Abraham recorded. More importantly, you will find a series of Abraham's moments. Snap shots in time, when for better or for worse, Abraham had his purpose fulfilled for all humanity to see. Unfortunately, and this goes for most of history, moments get recorded and small things often get forgotten. Reading or watching someone in their daily routines is not as entertaining and captivating as a moment. Which means we don't get to see all the small things often that Abraham did, day in and day out, that led to him having such a strong relationship with God. Thankfully, we have the rest of the Bible, and the diaries, stories, trials, errors, and successes of so many Christian brothers and sisters who lived before us to give direction in this area. And we will take a look at some of the most influential Christian moments throughout history to give us insight and wisdom when it comes to small things often that will help you to establish a solid relationship with God in your life. The truth is that Abraham’s life is an amazingly redemptive story. His moments are full of action, romance, and betrayal. Power hungry warlords and damsels in distress. Everything you would need to make a great Hollywood movie. And at the center of it all is a seemingly normal man who accomplished small things often in his life in order to strengthen his relationship to the God of the universe.
If you have not taken the time to read or listen to Abraham's moments, stop reading now, and go read chapters 12-13. We'll get you started on your small things often today. And when you're done, I want you to read a commentary, essay, or blog post on those chapters specifically. And then I want you to sit and reflect about what the author is saying and how it may apply to your life. This is the small thing often of "Bible Study". And it is an essential element of maintaining your relationship with God. For more information on best practices or how and where to start, see the section on Bible Study and get more detail about this small thing often.
About the Author:
Dr. Corley is a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor (LPC-S) in Missouri and Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) in Kansas. He specializes in marriage counseling and trauma recovery. This is an excerpt from his series called Framework for Family. If you have a question or comment for the podcast please call 1-800-410-6829.
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