“This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.” Colossians 1:6 NLT
Do you ever feel like you are just crawling through life? The things you want to accomplish are still a dot on the horizon. The person you want to become is just a fuzzy image in the mirror. The minute hand seems to move at a minuscule pace a millimeter at a time. It can be discouraging.
In those moments when you feel like you aren’t growing at all and that you are going nowhere, stop for a moment. Look back and find something to celebrate. It may be a pebble compared to the boulder you still see in the way, but when you celebrate small victories, you gain perspective. You’ll see that change is actually taking place — just not at the pace you would prefer.
So, today I want to celebrate one of those pebbles. Last week I sent back a pair of glasses that I had ordered. I know, that may not seem like a lot to you. But to me, it is an indicator that I am not the person I used to be. And that, my friend, is a reason to celebrate! What might it do for you to celebrate some small victories?
Celebrating small victories changes your perspective. Let’s face it, slow growth is discouraging. Remember planting seeds in a milk carton back in elementary school? You checked the carton with your name written in magic marker constantly to see if there was any green. It felt like nothing was ever going to happen! Then one day just a tiny bit of green began to appear against the black potting soil. You questioned if it was actually there. The next day you checked again and were still unsure. But the next day there was no mistaking those two tiny green leaves spread out like upraised praise hands over the soil! Growth happened!
You’ve accepted the seed of God’s word into your heart. You keep looking for growth but see nothing and then…boom! There it is! That bit of green that shows growth is happening. Keep looking, my friend!
Celebrating small victories reminds you of what you’ve left behind. So, pick up your most recent pebble, your most recent small victory. Returning that pair of glasses reminded me of all the times I settled for less than the best because I was afraid. I was afraid of causing someone else to be inconvenienced. Afraid to tell the truth because I might hurt someone’s feelings. Afraid of making a mistake as I went through the process of trying to figure out how to send them back. Afraid to make a phone call and talk to someone I didn’t know and ask what to do. It never would have occurred to me to simply call, say that I didn’t like them and ask what to do next. I would have either tried to figure it all out on my own or decided that I just had to live with the mistake I made because admitting that I’d made a mistake would invalidate my existence. So much of my fear was rooted in that fear of making a mistake.
The Gospel at work in my life has transformed how I see myself. I am not an inconvenience because God calls me His. I am worthy of having the best because I am a child of the King. I am free to make mistakes because Jesus took the punishment for my sin, and I don’t have to be perfect to be of value in the world. Wow! That’s a lot for returning a pair of glasses!
See, how much victory is contained in that little pebble? That small success shows me how far I have come in overcoming my fear of failure. I am so grateful!
Celebrating small victories increases your hope for bigger change. Listen, there are still some boulders along my transformation path. I still struggle with the fear of failure. It often rises to the top of my thoughts. The nagging insecurity that accompanies fear of failure sometimes seems to stalk me, casting a shadow over every small pebble of success. But when I focus on the sunlight of hope that illuminates the pebble rather than that shadow, then I can smile and lift my gaze beyond the dark place to where the light is bright on the path ahead. I see the next boulder clearly. It is intimidating. However, I also see that the path is littered with pebbles, more small victories to celebrate before that big boulder is cleared out of the way. And it will be!
Dear Friend, you have more reasons to celebrate than you realize! It may not be sending back a pair of glasses, but I invite you to look back at your path. What small pebbles of victory can you pick up and examine to shift your perspective, remember and hope? I invite you to celebrate!
Key Question: How could celebrating small victories keep you growing?
A Scripture to Consider: “This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.” Colossians 1:6 NLT
A YES Challenge: Reflect on a recent victory that seemed insignificant at the time. What does that small success reveal about how the Gospel has transformed you so far? What small future victories do you look forward to celebrating?
Prayer: Father, I am so grateful! You have brought me so far! Help me not to miss the small victories that indicate growth. Help me to keep looking for the bits of green that show the seed of Your Word is bearing fruit in my life. Thank You! Amen.