“Go clean up your room!” So begins the saga of distraction. The child drags his feet with each step as he makes his way to what would normally be his haven. He sits in the middle of the room and stares at the mess around him. Then, after a few moments, rather than cleaning, he picks up the shiny blue matchbox car just within reach and starts to play with it. The room is still a mess. Nothing gets done, but the child feels better because he has distracted themself from the overwhelming task at hand.

You and I do the same thing, don’t we? We distract ourselves when the task seems overwhelming. Not just with practical tasks, but with the things we know God wants to change in our lives. We do something that makes us feel better, but we avoid actually starting.

What is it that God might want to change in your life? Perhaps you feel God has called you to an area of service that intimidates you. Or maybe, and this happens most often, through His Word and His Spirit God has pinpointed an area that needs some character development. Ouch! I know that feeling! But the idea of changing a deeply ingrained habit or attitude seems too large and overwhelming, so, like the child in the middle of a messed up room, we sit and feel sorry for ourselves or distract ourselves from the enormity of the needed change. If you are like me you might pick up your phone and start researching “how to overcome” _________(fill in the blank.) I might even start reading Scriptures about it. I feel like I have done something about the issue, but take no further action. It seems hopeless so, consciously or unconsciously,  I decide to do something else. There is the nagging awareness that I am not obeying God. However, my attention on other things dulls that awareness. I feel better, for a while, but have moved nowhere. Does that sound familiar?

So, How do we even get started on those big changes? Here are some tips to make the mountain of change scalable.

Start small. Like the child with the messed up room, we have to begin somewhere. We have to begin one step at a time. When the child looks at his floor covered with toys it seems like an insurmountable task. but if, rather than playing with the shiny blue matchbox car, he put it away he would have taken the first step toward cleaning the whole room. You and I see the whole job and can’t envision how to accomplish it. But every task has multiple steps that are necessary in order to bring it to completion. Our first task is to break the big job into small steps and believe that small steps make a big difference.

Start with what is right in front of you. What I would often tell my children is to start right where you are and begin by putting away the item closest to you rather than playing with it. You can’t put the whole room away in one swoop! That’s the best way to tackle any big task. Start small and start where you are. The one action that is glaringly obvious is the place to begin. Take care of that one thing that is right in front of you and then move on to the next one. When we are working on changing an attitude it may take a while, but don’t give up. What did Mary Poppins say? “Well begun is half-done.”

Be faithful with that one thing. As you begin to see success in that one change you will find momentum to tackle another one. Character development is hard work. There is no getting around it. It will feel uncomfortable. It will take time. But it is possible to change that habit. It is possible to change that attitude or wrong thinking. Perhaps your habit is complaining rather than being grateful. The next time you find a complaining attitude developing into a complaining sentence follow that complaint with a statement of gratefulness. Begin to make that your habit. Over time you may begin to catch the sentence before it leaves your mouth and only speak the word of thanks. Then over time you may be able to recognize the internal attitude and begin to change that with out a word every leaving your lips. The goal is a grateful heart, not simply gracious words.

With that intimidating ministry or place of service or new job, just keep taking the next right step. Do it as well as you possibly can until God opens the next opportunity. Learn, practice, grow. As God opens each next step, do it faithfully until you find yourself in the middle of something you never expected to do. It took years for me to achieve my ministry credentials and then to become a pastor. When I started this journey I had no idea where I would end up. Each new step brought me closer to where I am now, doing something I never expected to do.

I know you see a lot of needed changes in yourself. I see them for me, too. We can’t change everything all at once. Don’t feel defeated. Do one thing and be faithful.

Believe that Christ is enough. God doesn’t call us to anything that He isn’t willing to help us do. Whether it’s a new skill or character development, He will help you to accomplish what is too big to do on your own. He will help you make that first step. And the next. And the next. Remember that you are not in this alone. Remember that His grace is enough. (2 Corinthians 12:9 ) He is right beside you for every step of the arduous journey and He is the prize at the finish line.

So, let’s imagine that child in his room. He picks up the shiny blue matchbox and looks at it for a long time, then he puts it in the matchbox storage bin his mom has labeled for him. He moves on to the other matchbox cars that he sees on the floor. When he can’t find anymore matchbox cars he smiles feeling an unexpected sense of accomplishment. He notices the legos at his feet and starts to put them in the lego bin. Now he works faster and more confidently. He is starting to see more floor. Maybe it isn’t hopeless after all!

You can do this, dear friend. Start small. Start with what is right in front of you. Be faithful. If God has asked you to do it, then He will empower you to see it through. Believe it. Your small steps of faithfulness are making a bigger difference than you know.

Key thought: Small steps make a big difference.

A Scripture to consider: “This is a large work I’ve called you into, but don’t be overwhelmed by it. It’s best to start small. Give a cool cup of water to someone who is thirsty, for instance. The smallest act of giving or receiving makes you a true apprentice. You won’t lose out on a thing.”  ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭10:40-42‬ ‭MSG‬‬

A YES challenge: Identify one area of your life that you know God wants you to change. What is one small step that you can take to begin to change in that area? Make a commitment to take that step as many times as necessary so that you can begin to make that change.

Prayer: Father, you know all about me. You see every flaw, every area of my character that doesn’t look like You. You also see the plans You have for me.. You know what You have designed me for. You know what You have for me to accomplish. This journey of change is too hard for me. It’s too big and I am overwhelmed. Help me to take the next right step. Walk with me. Help me to start small and be faithful. Amen.