Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Small Things

Mother Teresa once said, "We can do no great things, only small things done with great love."

Read that again. Make sure you got it. The woman who became famous for doing small things with great love said that it is impossible for an individual to do any great things. I resist this idea, but I think that she is right. I want to do something big and lasting, and I want to do it today, right now. I want to make a big, fast difference. Mother Teresa is messing with my plans.

And now, on Epiphany, I am reminded that what God did was a small thing. Jesus, God incarnate, came as a baby in an insignificant village. And yet, that small thing has changed the world in huge ways.

So for now, for this year, let's take some steps to do some small things to change the world.
  • Our small things must be incremental. We cannot walk across the room until we take one step. We cannot walk across the country until we walk across the room. Do not be discouraged by the big picture. Visualize the first goal in the process. Start with one small thing and then celebrate that victory. Then take another incremental step. Mother Teresa's ministry began by helping one person.
  • We must be persistent in doing our small things. We need to keep going, even if we meet resistance, discouragement or even failure. Great things will not be accomplished by those who give up too easily.
  • Finally, we must take our small steps consistently. It is not enough to work at it for a few days and then take a couple of weeks off. We must be consistent in our work to have any kind of positive influence at all.

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