Faithfulness in Little Things

Faithfulness in Little Things

A little thing is a little thing. But faithfulness in little things is a great thing. – Hudson Taylor

I find this truth to be one of the hardest to embrace – in part because the little things are so mundane and unglamorous, and in part due to how hard being faithful is, let alone faithfulness in little things.

What an encouragement it is to know we have a God whose mercies are new every morning and that through Him we can do all things.

Dear, sweet mother – what you do matters. Your daily little things are your platform to show your children His greatness, despite your great weakness.

We may never see the bigger canvas that is being weaved as we faithfully show up to the daily tasks the Lord has set before us, but we can be convinced of this – “He who calls you is faithful…” (1 Thessalonians 5:24a). Faithfulness in little things is entirely possible.

What comes before that verse is a list of exhortations to believers, starting in verse 12;

“We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you… to esteem them very highly in love because of their work.
Be at peace among yourselves… admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.
See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies,but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.
Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.”

This list is impossible to accomplish in and of our own flesh. Our flesh is sinful and can only ever produce flesh – but He who calls is faithful. He is working to produce in us something we could never produce in ourselves.

It is hard to continue on when we cannot see the results. We are a check-list and results driven people, when instead we should be striving towards honoring Him throughout our day and resting in His promises and His faithfulness.

We see our failures and our fragile frames so clearly, but rather than being crushed under the weight of our despair, let it propel us to the cross, to His faithfulness, to His promises. And then embrace the little things for His glory.

A friend shared this in a Facebook post earlier this week and it was so encouraging I wanted to share;

“When you are bone-tired and soul-weary and you have little more to give, when you’re defeated and whispers of “failure” tiptoe right past your ears and into your heart, listen…soak it in… believe this truth:

You are your children’s perfect mother.

This has nothing to do with perfection or being perfect, and everything to do with God gifting you to steward their lives. Not another mother is better suited to be their mother than you…
…
So…mama your babies with confidence and rest in the sweetness that for at least a little while their lives are yours to mold. Then when it’s time, let them fly. And grace upon grace, forever and always, you will remain their perfect mother.”
~from Mother Letters: Sharing the Mess and Glory