A New Beginning For Small Things

I have been pondering a few weeks as I have been working to put this site together as to what the topic for the first post should be. It is something that I have wrestled with and prayed about to some great extent. Some of the posts in “Daily Living” came easily. That is not to say that any of those posts are masterpieces by any stretch of the imagination. I prayed and wrestled with those as well. However, this particular post has caused me some angst before settling on the topic. As I scanned the material that I’d already felt lead to present, it became very apparent and clear that the material being given to me had to do with the daily walk of a Christian. In other words, what we should be doing on a daily basis as Christians.

It is clear that we should all be Studying and reading our Bible as well as spending time in prayer. We should all be in process of becoming better diciples and discipling our children and families. This discipling process can also can be extended to those new to the faith in our church and by living as a proper Christian example in front of those in the work place. Certainly, we should all be aware and on the look out for the opportunity to witness and share the gospel of Jesus Christ when the opportunity is presented. Most importantly, we should be doing these things joyfully and not as if these things were a ball and chain of obligation. I know that many will howl that there is not enough time in the day. Hectic work schedules, time for family, extra curricular activities with the kids, preparing meals, cleaning house, and the circumstances of every day life that demand our time and attention seem to crowd out these spiritual activities of “Daily Living”.

No one said that it was easy. But honestly, with the right mindset, it’s not that difficult either. Getting up an hour earlier to meet God was not something that I looked forward to initially. Sure it may mean getting up an hour earlier. However; after a brief period of time, I have grown to look forward to getting up to meet God for an hour of prayer and Bible reading. It awakens me and prepares me to meet the day full of grace. I then get dressed and go to work, spend my time at work and then, drive home. I spend time with the family over a meal and ask how their day has been. I offer suggestions to problems that they have encountered throughout the day. This is a form of discipleship. I offer suggestions with pieces of Scripture. How can I do that? Because I read and study the Bible on a daily basis. So thus far, I have prayer, Bible study, and some form of discipleship already out of the way. Throughout the day I am alert to opportunities to witness to people about Jesus and the awesome power of God. Today for example, a woman I work with was distraught at having to go to the hospital to have some tests run to rule out breast cancer. Now, she is a Christian. Sometimes, the devil riles her up as he does with all of us. She is not perfect, but then, neither am I. However; I took her aside, prayed with her and offered her some Scripture for assurance and to claim healing by God’s power. She was teary eyed when we parted company but not long after that, I received news that the tests came back clear. Now did that prayer and her faith “heal” her? Maybe, maybe not. But what I did do was to let her know that someone loved her enough to pray with her. I let her know that someone was with her and that she didn’t have to face this event alone. What it did do was give her a boost in her faith that she walked closer with God for today. Tomorrow, she will be just as thankful she does not have breast cancer as she is today. That is part of witnessing.

The main point that I want to drive home is this. Prayer, Bible study, Witnessing, and Discipleship are meant to be part of our daily lives. But the discipline to do so does not come overnight. You may start our with ten or fifteen minutes of prayer and ten or fifteen minutes reading your Bible each day. That’s twenty to thirty minutes more than you had been doing previously. As you grow in knowledge, wisdom, and understanding from reading your Bible and increase your faith through prayer, you will begin to notice events and circumstances that present themselves in which you can disciple others and witness to others. I’ll cover more of that in detail later. For right now I challenge you to pray and read your Bible for thirty minutes each day to start out. Progress may be slow but progress will be made. Pray for understanding and direction as to what to read in the Bible. I recommend reading the Gospel of John to begin with if you have not been a regular reader. Matthew, Mark, and Luke discuss the humanity of Jesus. John focuses on the Godliness or deity of Jesus. Bible Study is part of being a disciple. Bible study is part of discipling others. Bible Study is an important aspect to Witnessing to others. Bible study is a drink of water for the traveler in the desert.

For every journey there has to be a beginning. Reading the Bible for fifteen minutes and praying for fifteen minutes might, or might not, sound like a big deal. I assure you that it is a VERY big deal. These are the first small steps of “Daily Living” for Christ. It is a new beginning. Most new beginnings usually start small, but you will be surprised how that thirty minutes each day will gradually grow into an hour or more without you being aware. Initially, I was almost late for work several times because I lost track of time in Prayer and Bible Study. Before I knew it, my time allotted had passed. New beginnings start with small steps. Next thing you know greater strides are being taken and great things will transpire from your efforts! I challenge you to try what I am advocating here. It worked for me. I believe that it will work for you and blessings will pour from the windows of heaven. God Bless!

In His Grip,

Lonnie Richardson

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Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)
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Amplified Bible (AMP)
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

King James Version (KJV)
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New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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A New Beginning For Small Things

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