How to Be Faithful in the Little Things (+ Why We Should Be)

We should always be faithful in the little things if we want to be trusted with the grander things in life. Keep reading to find out why, and for tips to start being faithful with the little things.

I tend to go through a vicious cycle with my dreams and goals. One minute, I'm working hard and really proud of myself for my work. But then something happens. Sometimes it's laziness- Netflix starts calling my name, ya know? Sometimes it's life- I get sick, I have to work late, or I decide to have a much-needed date with the hubby. Life happens, and some things are more important than getting every single task marked off my to-do list.

But oftentimes, the reason things don't get done is because I am a professional time-waster. Sure, I get the things done that I am getting paid for, but that still leaves all my blog goals, just sitting there. And why are they sitting there? Because I chose Netflix. Because I chose a nap. Because I chose Harry Potter. Because I chose a bubble bath.

Don't get me wrong- I am a big believer in taking "me time", and I think it's important. But when "me time" is all the time and hard work on my goals is barely-there, priorities need to be shifted.

I think one of the reasons I let myself play too much is because I don't always believe that I will succeed. So I let myself play now because I subconsciously don't believe if I work now I'll get to play later. But then that mindset continues the vicious cycle because then I slack on things that could help me achieve my dreams because I don't believe I'll really ever get there.

Now, that's not the only reason I become unfaithful in the little things. I just naturally like to play way more than I should anyway. I have low energy and when I get tired I often give into the naps and Netflix. But, recognizing that both of those things cause me to be unfaithful in the little things is a game-changer.

As a Christian, I know that I am called to be faithful with the little things before I can be truly trusted with the bigger things. God isn't typically going to hand over something huge to us if we keep showing Him that we aren't even willing to do solid work when it comes to smaller projects. And who could blame Him? Why should He trust us with the huge things we beg Him for if, when He gives us smaller tasks that will lead us to where we desire, we don't utilize them at all?!

Be Faithful by Showing Up

The first step to being faithful in the little things is to just show up. To your meeting at work, to your video chat with your mentor, to the time you scheduled out to work on your blog posts, to the volunteer job you signed up for at church- whatever it is, show up.

Be Faithful by Staying Consistent

I struggle to be consistent with things- especially things that don't seem very important at the time. I don't have to write that newsletter tonight, right? I don't have to finish that post this morning, do I? But then if I am not consistent and I don't dive right in to the tasks at hand, I end up stressed out, unproductive, and less creative. Being consistent helps avoid those things and helps me take steps in the right direction.

Be Faithful by Being On Time

Guys, I am ALWAYS late. Always. It is a terrible habit, but it's true. But if we are going to truly be faithful in the little things, we need to try our very best to be on time to our obligations.

Some people are always going to struggle with time more than others. I am one of those people. But nothing says, "I don't really care about this like someone who is always late to the same task consistently. And us late people may not even feel that way, but it's certainly how it comes across when we are always the ones holding up the group, causing people to have to rearrange their schedules, or making ourselves fall behind because we couldn't show up for our own to-do lists on time.

Be Faithful to Put in the Effort

Okay, now that we are here, consistently, and on time, we need to put in effort. No slacking off. No checking our phones every 3 minutes. No excuses. No half-doing a job because we are tired.

Honestly, if we aren't willing to put in work now, we aren't going to be willing to put in work when we have more responsibilities and more on our plates. It doesn't get easier when we reach our goals, because we still have to maintain whatever we've built. So thinking we can cruise through the little tasks is a terrible mindset.

The little tasks are preparation for the big tasks!

Be Faithful by Working Now & Playing Later

My friend Summer of Coffee with Summer recently posted about how to beat blogger envy. In the post she quoted her husband saying "pay now, play later". What he meant was that we have to be willing to work our butts off now, if we want the freedom to play and do more fun things in the future. This was a great reminder for me, and I think it's a reminder that all of us need every now and then.

Honestly friends, we are capable of so much more than we think we are. But when we start believing that we aren't, or we get sucked into the trap of laziness and instant gratification, we are not living fully as the peculiar treasures God created us to be. We were meant to thrive and do great things- but that just isn't going to happen if we aren't willing to work hard and be faithful in the little things. The little tasks in our home, our work, our relationships, and our dreams are what will prepare us and push us towards the grander things we hope for in life. Be willing to be all there in the little things, and there's a much better chance that you will reach the bigger things you are longing for!