Disclaimer: Changing your life is not impossible. Many people around you are doing it every day, and you have probably done it a few times already.
Here is the hard truth: Nothing ever stays the same. Life is constantly changing around us. Be it spiritual, emotional, physical, or even political, something life-changing occurs in or around us every day. Some are within our control; others may even go unnoticed but will have a huge effect in the future.
The time from the day Abraham heard, ‘Leave your father’s house,’ to the day Sarah gave birth to Isaac should have lasted about 25 years. Some may say the prophecy and Abraham’s greatest desire may have taken too long, but there were so many encounters, decisions, actions, and events that hung over his life beyond just his desire—and the prophecy to have a child that would be a seed of God’s covenant.
Abraham’s choice to obey and separate himself from his idolatrous family started a life-changing process of consecration and service to God. His choice to be diligent and apply the skills he had learnt in his father’s house made him extremely wealthy, even in a foreign country. His ability to hear from God and walk with him kept his faith alive and brought him back on track whenever he was going astray.
Abraham’s decision to sleep with Hagar and have a child with her not only gave him the son Sarah thought she wanted, but it also altered and affected the course of history forever.
Sometimes, the smallest decisions that give us immediate gratification can negatively affect our lives and our generations forever, just like Abraham’s nephew Lot. He thought Sodom was greener, bigger, and a better place for his wealth and his family, but the spiritual atmosphere and wickedness of the people cost him his wealth and his family.
There are decisions we make every day based on our principles that can positively change our lives, like a decision to live for God, to be consistent in kingdom service even when it’s not convenient, to live a life of integrity even when no one is watching and it seems like you’re ‘losing’ by doing right.
Contrary to what we feel or what some people may think, we encounter life-changing decisions every day. Water or coke, a pie/ slice of cake or a salad, going to the gym/ choosing exercise or lying down on the couch, Netflix or a faith-building podcast or sermon, social media or a book are all small decisions that will have huge consequences depending on what we choose every day.
Look at it like this: it’s not just a day of intentionally skipping your time with God. It’s an opportunity to receive key instruction or spiritual deposit you need for the day. It is not just a regular service you chose not to attend; it’s an opportunity to grow your ‘faithfulness and consistency’ muscle, which the enemy fights against because God rewards those who diligently seek him—if it wasn’t hard sometimes, there would be no reward.
It is not just a decision to forgive, to not reply in a mean or vengeful way despite how you feel. It’s an opportunity to grow into a more emotionally healthy, mature version of you.
Little bricks build great houses, and little drops of water form an ocean. List four little- or big positive decisions you will consciously take daily and watch your life change.
Maybe you have been making good decisions, but you feel like they haven’t brought any true or meaningful change. Please don’t give up; when the ‘clouds gather,’ the rain will pour. Perhaps you must review how and why you have been doing these good deeds (wisdom, your state of heart, and good intentions also matter). If your heart is in the right position, I assure you only good things will come your way, no matter what is happening right now.
Like Simon Sinek said: “Brushing your teeth for two minutes twice a day may not seem to have any huge effect on your life. But just by brushing your teeth, you will prevent cavities, bad breath and a long list of tooth or gum problems. You may not have changed your life, but you have prevented something that will negatively change your life.”
Little good acts bring great changes or prevent negative ones.
As always, I look forward to hearing and learning from you through your thoughts and comments on this post.
Be happy, enjoy your life, travel ‘light’… cheers!
