Episode #70 How Little Things Can Change Your Life – Seed Sowing Summer

Hey friend. Have you thought about recently how little things can change your life? I've been thinking about this, and we're going to be talking with God about it today on this podcast episode. And if you're new around here, hey, I'm Jen, I'm a Bible teacher, and I love to help people talk with God. And we're taking a moment to have an uncommon conversation with God in this moment of your day.

We're in a series of sowing seeds and I love thinking about the concept of these tiny little things that get planted and nurtured and grow into producing something that's beautiful and fruitful and functional. I've also been thinking about and talking with God about the profound impact that small gestures and small moments and small habits can have on our lives.

I read a book a few years ago, called Atomic Habits and the core concept was building in these tiny, small habits to produce sustainable change. That sometimes we can look at future goals that we have and overcomplicate the steps that are needed to get there. And so, we don't start. Or we're not able to carry things through. But instead, we can build these tiny habits that build on each other. And I also see this come out in small moments that I can sometimes overlook:

The small word of encouragement.

Meeting eye to eye with one of my kids, and affirming something that I see in them.

Or taking a moment to check in on someone.

There's so many little things that can change our lives.

In Zechariah 4 God is speaking through the Prophet Zechariah and he's calling his people to return to him. And I love the way that the New Living Translation states Zechariah 4:10 and it says,

"Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin"

Sometimes I can despise the small beginnings because I want us to be further along. Because I want to look only toward the harvest. It's more exciting to look at the end result than to value and celebrate the beginning stage.

And in this passage in Zechariah, it's referencing laying the foundation of a temple. Sometimes the small things that go into laying a strong foundation or sowing seeds for a future harvest, are transformative in the way that they lay a good foundation for what is to come next. And I was thinking about this in the context of sowing seeds in our summer months, especially for those of us like myself who have young kids at home.

Because I want to seize those small moments. I want to affirm identity in my kids. I want to speak to the times that I see them making what we call happy choices, not just correcting them for sad choices. I want to bring happy consequences, not just sad ones. I want to seize opportunities to share a laugh to do something fun, to bring them into a conversation that I'm having with God or make space to experience these little things of life together. I don't want to overlook them because I'm so busy planning the next big activity that I miss out on the moment that's right in front of me.

I also want to read for us from Matthew 10:42.

This is Jesus teaching, and I had never really noticed this verse in quite this way before.

"And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."

There are things we're going to do because we're human, because we're parents, because we're caregivers. But we can also do those things because we are disciples. Because I am a follower of Jesus, I can show a small kindness to my child. Because I am a follower of Jesus, I can seize this small moment. I can be present in this opportunity. I can respond in grace.

I don't want to overlook these little things because these little things can change my life and they can change the lives of those that I come in contact with.

Sometimes we can disqualify those small things, those small acts of service or kindness as being inconsequential, but Jesus actually references it as a mark of a disciple. An action that can demonstrate that we're following Christ. And so maybe that's with your own kids. Maybe that's with another kid in your community, or a stranger that you come in contact with.

I wonder what the little things are, those little seeds that can produce a transformative harvest. Where we might disqualify ourselves from doing anything significant, God may deem those same actions to be of great significance.

So, let's talk with God about it.

God, will you show me the significance of a small thing that's in my life right now?

Have a good talk.

And if you've been encouraged by this content, please share it with a friend and help them grow in their conversational relationship with God too!

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