I think that the longer we are saved and followers of Christ, the easier it can be to get caught up in thinking we have to do something huge for God. We hear stories and watch videos of people standing up for their faith or witnessing to the masses and think that’s the only way God uses people. We get intimidated and think there's no way God can use us for something so big.
Then there are the celebrity pastors, teachers, leaders, and influencers with massive followings, doing great things for God and then they experience a moral failure, and we’re left wondering what to do with that. How do we process it? If the people who seem to “have it all together” fail, how are we supposed to make it and do big things too?
But this isn’t a new problem. Throughout the Bible, we see people used by God in powerful ways who still had major flaws. One thing I’ve noticed is that many of them either didn’t have a real, personal relationship with God or neglected it to the point that they no longer recognized the Holy Spirit’s conviction.
I was reading in 1 Samuel about King Saul. He was appointed as king over Israel and did, in fact, do some good things. God used him greatly. But eventually, Saul began to make choices that set him on a different path, one that led away from following God. One thing that stood out to me was when Samuel came to talk with him on different occasions, Saul would say, “The Lord YOUR God.” There was a disconnect. To Saul, God wasn’t his God, He was Samuel’s God. There was no relationship, no intimacy, no personal knowledge of who God was.
Following God isn't just about the big moments. Doing something for Him isn’t limited to witnessing or accomplishing great, public things. In 1 Corinthians 10:31, it says: “Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
Everything we do should be for God’s glory.
Now, does that mean when I’m eating my Reese’s cereal in the morning, I’m eating cereal to the glory of God? First off, yes, I do believe Reese’s cereal is from God, so there’s that. But in all seriousness, I have to challenge myself to find God in every aspect of my life. As I’m eating, I can thank Him for the food He’s provided for me and my family. As I drink water, I can be grateful that we live in a place where I’m not worried about clean drinking water or whether we’ll run out.
When we go to work in the morning, we have a choice: be bitter and complain, or as it says in Colossians 3:23 work not as for man, but as if we’re working for God. That is part of our testimony.
I’ll never forget the time I was working at Walmart. It was a decent job for a 20-year-old, and it paid the bills. I learned a lot there. I had decided I would do my best and have the best work ethic I could. When I eventually left for another job, a co-worker said, “You’re leaving? I thought you were going to be the next Mr. Walmart!”
I knew what he meant. I really tried to avoid complaining, to do my best, and to learn everything I could about the job in front of me. Was I perfect in that? No. Was it because I loved retail and wanted to do it forever? Not necessarily. But I was content doing what God had for me at the time, and I realized I wasn’t just working for Walmart, I was working for Him. I wanted to be a testimony wherever God had me.
This applies to all areas of our lives. Again, Scripture says whether we’re eating, drinking, or doing anything else, we’re to do it for God. Maybe for you, it’s being a good neighbor. Perhaps there’s someone on your street God wants you to simply be present for. Maybe it’s having more patience with your kids.
See, when I think about the foundation that’s being built through those “small” acts of faithfulness, I believe God uses that to build even more. Jesus said in Luke 16 that those who are faithful with little will be entrusted with more. The small things matter. They shape our character.
I think a great example of this was my grandma. When I think about my grandma, I picture her sitting with her Bible, faithfully doing her devotions every day. She was consistent in attending church and staying involved. In fact, she was so faithful in what she could do that everyone in church knew who she was, where she sat, and that she made over 40 pounds of fudge every year at Christmas, just to give it away.
She did what she could, and she did it for God. Her impact was so evident that at her funeral, that little white country church in upstate NY was overflowing with people whose lives she had touched just by being faithful.
She didn’t do something “huge” by the world’s standards. But she was consistent. She did the small faithful things for God, and that left a legacy.
It makes me think about what kind of influence I want to leave behind. What about you?
It starts with being faithful in the small things, the things that might not seem like much. It’s about getting our hearts right with God, thanking Him for His blessings, and pointing others to Him in the process.
I encourage you to start thinking about how we can eat, drink, and do everything for the glory of God!
