One Thing ...
“One thing” is such a wonderful and significant phrase in Scripture. I think of it more now as I say it frequently in both morning and evening prayers from the Northumbria Community. How different from our long to do lists is the idea of doing just one thing. It is a great antidote to the perfectionist’s all-or-nothing thinking. Just do one thing! NOW!
I walked past a piece of litter, as I have other mornings doing chores, procrastinating. But this morning I stopped, turned back, and picked it up. Victory! A small victory, to be sure, but why must things be big to be important?
I love these two references in this regard: “Despise not the day of small things” (adapted from Zechariah 4:10) and “The LORD your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little.” (Deuteronomy 7:22; compare Exodus 23:28-30.)
“One things” are often little things. But done faithfully, they accumulate. Litter gets picked up one piece at a time. Live is lived one day at a time. Relish small victories!
I walked past a piece of litter, as I have other mornings doing chores, procrastinating. But this morning I stopped, turned back, and picked it up. Victory! A small victory, to be sure, but why must things be big to be important?
I love these two references in this regard: “Despise not the day of small things” (adapted from Zechariah 4:10) and “The LORD your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little.” (Deuteronomy 7:22; compare Exodus 23:28-30.)
“One things” are often little things. But done faithfully, they accumulate. Litter gets picked up one piece at a time. Live is lived one day at a time. Relish small victories!
Labels: perfectionism
posted by Daniel Leslie Peterson | 2:45 PM
2 Comments:
Good. Heather just told me today at dinner "if you can't take a big step, it's still worth taking some small ones."
'Preciate it Dan. As for me, this resolve to post once a day has become a little "one thing" that I try to do. What I learn is that in doing the "one thing" daily that I learn things about myself. It's like observing another person in action. Sometimes that person writes a thing that I think will get nowhere. And it is well-received. Other times I post something I think is hot stuff. And no response. I makes me wonder about the relationship between our emotions (how we feel about doing that one thing) and that thing itself. My suspicion is that our emotions are not accurate. And in walking with Jesus, this leads to the question of discerning between emotions and "the leading of the Spirit." Sometimes I think "the leading of the Spirit" is nothing more than my emotions. Other times, when I am not feeling anything emotionally -- and so I am not thinking that the Spirit is leading -- something really fruitful happens.
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