God has really been working on me over the past several months. Or shall I say convicting me?
I had gotten a bit lazy in the outworking of my faith in my day-to-day life. Don’t get me wrong, nothing really bad. Just little things.
Things like not redeeming my time; or not paying close attention to how I care for my body. Little indulgences that were showing me my priorities. Little remarks to my husband that revealed an unloving heart.
I find that this stage of my life yields a higher temptation to get lazy and not examine my life as carefully as I did when I had kids at home watching my every move. After all, no one really knows if I am lazy, or watching too much TV, or yelling at my dogs. No one knows if I am encouraging others in unseen ways, if I am denying self, or choosing to forgive instead of holding a grudge.
At this stage of my life, with my husband still busy working, I have little accountability to anyone but God. And it’s easy to grow lazier and less “self-examining”.
But God has been calling me to examine myself. And to live a different life in the little things. A more holy life. An intentional daily life for Him.
The other night I saw a movie and there was some dialogue regarding the gap between who the girl was and who she wanted to be. And her dad said this: “Why don’t you become the girl you wish to be?”
It was a secular movie and the dialogue was from a worldly perspective, but it made me stop and think.
We, God’s dear, redeemed children, are not STUCK being the person we are. We, of all people, have hope for change. Why do we act like we are hopeless? Why do we believe we can’t change?
There is a lot in God’s Word about this particular topic and gives us much hope in this area of becoming more like Christ. However, I have been especially meditating on Galatians 2:20, which tells us what the redeemed life should look like.
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
You see, we rarely hear about crucifying self. About crucifying our own wants, needs, desires (little ones and big ones) to live for Christ.
If we do hear about it, it’s in some grand big celebrity style of giving up everything. Sell all your stuff and go live for Jesus in a different country. But Jesus never said this.
Instead, dying to self is in the little things. The little things we do and don’t do each day in our daily lives.
This is what God has been reminding me of in His Word and through many other ways.
As if to confirm what He wants me to learn, I read just last night the following in a book I am reading about holiness by Horatius Bonar. It can’t be an accident right? I thought I’d share it with you as I close this post today. I hope it’s a good reminder for us all that our holiness and sanctification shows itself in the littlest things. It’s so tempting to grow lazy, but let’s not ever be satisfied with status quo Christianity.
Bonar reminds us: A holy life is composed of the rich and divine mosaic made up of the little things.
Here’s what Horatius Bonar says about a holy life (emphasis mine)—-
But a holy life is made up of a multitude of small things. It is the little things of the hour, and not the great things of the age, that fill up a life like that of Paul and John, like that of Rutherford (1600-1661), or Brainerd (1718-1747), or Martyn (1781-1812).
Little words, not eloquent speeches or sermons, little deeds, not miracles, nor battles, nor one great heroic act or mighty martyrdom, make up the true Christian life. The little constant sunbeam, not the lightning, the waters of Siloah “that go softly” (Isa 8:6) in their meek mission of refreshment, not “the waters of the river, strong and many” (vs. 8), rushing down in torrent noise and force, are the true symbols of a holy life.
The avoidance of little evils, little sins, little inconsistencies, little weaknesses, little follies, little indiscretions and imprudences, little foibles, little indulgences of self and of the flesh, little acts of indolence or indecision or slovenliness or cowardice, little equivocations or aberrations from high integrity, little touches of shabbiness and meanness, little bits of covetousness and penuriousness [stinginess], little exhibitions of worldliness and gaiety, little indifferences to the feelings or wishes of others, little outbreaks of temper, or crossness, or selfishness, or vanity—the avoidance of such little things as these goes far to make up at least the negative beauty of a holy life.
And then attention to the little duties of the day and hour, in public transactions, or private dealings, or family arrangements; to little words, and looks, and tones; little benevolences, or forbearances, or tendernesses; little self-denials, and self-restraints, and self-forgetfulnesses, little plans of quiet kindness and thoughtful consideration for others; to punctuality, and method, and true aim in the ordering of each day—these are the active developments of a holy life, the rich and divine mosaics of which it is composed.
What makes yon green hill so beautiful? Not the outstanding peak or stately elm, but the bright sward [expanse of grass] which clothes its slopes, composed of innumerable blades of slender grass. It is of small things that a great life is made up; and he who will acknowledge no life as great save that which is built up of great things, will find little in Bible characters to admire or copy.
~Horatius Bonar (God’s Way of Holiness)