Do the Next Small Thing

My six-year-old daughter has had me watch Frozen 2 hundreds of times. Hundreds. The next, big thing most days—in her mind—is watching that Disney movie once again.

After a climactic twist in the film, the younger princess of Arendelle named Anna, in her grief, implores herself to do the “next right thing.” When she doesn’t know what to do, where to turn, or whether she can go on, she knows she must simply do the “next right thing.”

In our lives, we often feel like we don’t know what God wants us to do, either. To build on a phrase from Frozen 2, sometimes we ought to simply do the next small thing.

THE NEXT SMALL THING IN SANCTIFICATION

As Christians, we know we need to do the right thing. Yet sometimes we don’t recognize the importance of the small things, the everyday moments, the mundane occurrences that make up most of our lives. The next small thing is how we grow deeper in our faith.

In our evangelical subculture, we have been formed to look for the next mountaintop, the next experience, the next great thing that will bring us closer to God. In this pursuit of the climactic, we can miss the power of the ordinary. Our sanctification takes place first and foremost as the work of the Spirit, over time in our mundane, everyday habits and life (Gal. 5:16–17; Eph. 4:23; 2 Pet. 3:18).

Mountaintop experiences bear fruit because of everyday moments—the early mornings spent with Scripture, the quiet moments of prayer, and the sacrifices and love shown when no one else is looking.

Mountaintop experiences bear fruit because of everyday moments.

The Christian life is not always a mountaintop. It’s more often like a garden. It takes mundane, hard work to tend, to weed, to plant, and to water. It takes patience and time. It takes waiting and trusting God to bring fruit (John 15:5–11; Col. 1:10).

Do the next small thing. Do the work of tilling, planting, watering, and waiting through the small acts of spiritual habits. There will be days where we don’t feel God’s presence, where we will do things out of habit. But even in these moments, God is working to form us (Rom. 8:28–29).

So, what does the Lord want you to do? He wants you to do the next small thing. To trust him with your ordinary days, and the mountaintops, and even the valleys.

Trust Jesus. Follow Jesus. This is the Christian life.

God works in us in everyday moments. That’s the way he evidences his work of salvation in our lives. Little moments are often the primary means in which we disciple others. We help one another be formed by the Spirit in the everyday moments, so that in their everyday moments they may walk with the Lord more faithfully.

THE NEXT SMALL THING AT HOME

Discipleship begins in the home and the everyday life we live there. Loving God and our neighbor begins with those under our roof (Deut. 28:1–6; Matt. 22:36–40; Acts 16:31).

So do the next small thing at home. Fix supper, wash dishes, bathe kids, rest and relax with those you love. We often talk about discipling our kids and what devotional we use or questions we ask (and we should spend time thinking through these things), but discipleship begins with the small, everyday moments, the things we do out of habit.

When our hearts are filled with the love of Jesus, we serve, sacrifice, and care in small ways that make a huge difference.

When our hearts are filled with the love of Jesus, we serve, sacrifice, and care in small ways that make a huge difference.

This is the most effective way to disciple our children. There is no silver bullet in discipleship. There is no one thing that will form the hearts of our family. It’s a long process that requires patience and faithfulness. It requires presence. It requires consistency.

Do the next small thing well in your home for the glory of God, and let the accumulation of small things be used by God to make a big difference (Col. 3:23).

This ordinary faithfulness is also how we minister to the world around us, and how we are faithful to lead and disciple others.

THE NEXT SMALL THING IN PASTORING

To pastor a congregation is a huge responsibility. To preach and lead a local body of Christ is a task that often seems too massive and can easily be overwhelming.

Pastors see where the church needs to grow, and they are surrounded with advice about how to accomplish this growth. We are told the ways another church experienced sizable growth and the principles we can use to see the same. Every day a new book tells us how to lead, a conference promises to show us how to grow, or a blog chastises us for not being like those who have seen growth.

The truth of the matter is what works in one context is not always what works in another and the principles and systems we are offered can often be a burden for most pastors. So, what should you do? The next small thing.

The pastor’s job is to help God’s people be faithful in their everyday lives.

Your job is not to lead your church to an experience. Pastoral ministry is often made up of routine, small moments. The pastor’s job is to help God’s people be faithful in their everyday lives. We do this not only with five- or ten-year plans and books about leadership and vision but by simply doing the next small thing.

Love the person in front of you. Visit the sick and the hurting. Seek justice practically in your community. Do the next small thing. Do the work of faithful proclamation and presence.

Faithful pastoring is preaching faithfully week in and week out. We pastors do the next small thing of sermon prep and proclamation. The hard work of wrestling with the text and proclaiming its truth and beauty. Our sermons don’t have to be world-changing; they have to be faithful.

Plant the seed of the gospel with all its hope and joy, week in and week out, and God will grow the fruit. You don’t have to be the pastor who writes books or stands on the conference stage. You have to be you. God has gifted you to see the text and preach its truth.

THE NEXT SMALL THING IN MINISTRY

Faithful ministry is often like faithful pastoring—much of it is simply about showing up. How do we minister to those walking through the valley? We do the next small thing.

We don’t have to have all the answers or the right word for every moment. Many times, we don’t even have to say anything, but we do have to show up.

When the church does the next small thing together, God can use her to change the world.

Our programs and events are not what communicate God’s love most clearly. The simple act of our presence—being there for those we shepherd—communicates the faithful presence and love of God.

When the church does the next small thing together, God can use her to change the world.

BE FAITHFUL

Don’t be too overwhelmed with the big picture that you miss the importance and power of the small moments that truly make up most of your ministry and life.

We are not called to change the world on our own. We are called to be faithful.

And to be faithful is often to do the next small thing.


Zac Harrel serves as Network Missionary for the Heart of Texas Baptist Network. He is husband to Shandra and daddy to Evahlyn and Jameson. You can find him on Twitter (@ZHarrel).