DAY 20
THE POWER OF SMALL STEPS
CASEY CONNELL, YOUNG ADULTS PASTOR, THE WOODS CHURCH
“Any process of change requires a form of dying” —Casey Tygrett
Can we start today by taking inventory of our lives for just a minute?
We’re going to focus on the idea of change, so take a minute and think about the following...
How long have I lived in the same routine, good or bad?
When was the last time I longed to see change in my life?
When was the last time I felt stirred to see change in the world
around me?
When was the last time that I asked God, “What do YOU want me to do differently?”
Finally... am I ready for a new season of change?
The fact of the matter is that without change, we become stagnant. The Church of Laodicea serves as a powerful example. Jesus said to them in Revelation 3:15-16, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.” They had lost their purpose and effectiveness, becoming complacent in their spiritual lives. Their condition is a warning to us about the dangers of remaining stagnant for too long. If we do, we become lifeless, purposeless, just barely getting by—and often, we don’t even realize it. By the time we fall into the pit, the dirt is too high to see what we’re missing outside. And it will take significant effort to get out, but the good news is that it is still possible to make the changes necessary to live a better way.
There is a principle or discipline that I have lived by this past year, one that I believe God has taught me not just for this season, but as a new way of living. I’d love to share it with you. It’s called The Practice of Change.
Drastic change only occurs over time, but is the direct result of daily intentional, incremental changes in our disciplines. This is the practice of change. Life doesn’t operate by the old “Go Big or Go Home” mentality, but rather a “Dream Big and Get Started” mindset. I believe this type of intentional living honors God and propels us into living the life he has designed us for. And I also believe that God honors our intentionality. But where does it all start? It starts when we realize that we’re not living the life God intended for us. More than that, when that realization becomes a rooted discontent that is unshakable, we find that we have to DO something about it. This usually happens at a “breaking point” where we find our life tiresome, repetitive, and void of actual living.
We can also get to this point intentionally. How? By living life at the feet of Jesus. When we live from the presence, from the place where our hearts cry is a blend of “Search me, oh God” and “Break my heart for what breaks Yours,” we will find ourselves at the intersection of His desire for us and the reality of our current state. It’s at this place that the practice of change becomes so important. As He reveals the gap between His will and ours, it beckons us to change. And if He wills, there is a way. This is where the biblical principle of “dying to self” becomes real for most people - where we can no longer remain where we are but long for His life more than our own.
Paul echoes this sentiment in Philippians 2:12 where he writes, “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” This isn’t a call to live in anxiety, but a recognition of the weight of the life God calls us to—a life that requires constant growth and change, always moving closer to His will.
So where do we start? Now that we know there is more, now that the unshakable discontentment has taken root, how do we utilize it? We dream, we ask God to help us see the bigger picture, and we begin to partner with Him in walking it out.
What does it look like practically? Let me share a bit of my story with you. As 2024 rolled around, I was in the midst of one of the best seasons of my life. My relationship with God was good, my family was healthy, my job was everything I’d always dreamed of, but for some reason, I felt like there was so much more... As I began to pray and ask God what was feeling so off, He so graciously revealed to me that I was not living the life He called me to. He longed for more for me and more from me. While my spiritual health was good, it was not great; while my family was healthy, there were things missing; and while I loved ministry, I began to feel a new ache in me for greater depth in relationships that spur life transformation. And on top of all that, I had come to the realization that I was the least healthy physically I’d ever been.
I felt that the first change God was calling me to was to take physical care of my body, and as I began to commit to it, He continued to move. One of our young adults who worked as a physical trainer partnered with some of our staff to get us started taking care of our health more effectively. This small “yes” became a daily habit and pursuit, and the results have been dramatic. While I have much more work to do, the commitment to pursuing health also pushed me deeper spiritually, gave me greater drive to live intentionally with my family, and fueled my desire to partner with others. That was the beginning of many more intentional changes, including a new routine for spiritual discipline, intentional time praying for the hearts of people in my close community, and planning a Bible study geared toward some of my friends across the country who are beginning their faith journey.
What God does with our commitment to change is only limited by our discipline to pursue it. So ask yourself today, what little change does God want to initiate in you, that might snowball into not just a changed life, but a life of change that impacts those around you as well? Maybe it’s launching a small group, or taking care of yourself, or dedicating a season to listening. The list could go on, but what matters is that you start somewhere. Remember, change is hard, but it’s worth it.
PRAYER
Take some time to read over the questions from the intro to this devotional and take them to the Lord in prayer. This may be best used as a time of journaling prayer as you ask the Lord to stir up change in you.
