There's a Chinese proverb that goes like this even a journey of a thousand miles begins with
a single step you think man it's overwhelming all that's in front of me but no matter how
long the journey it starts the same way as any journey does with one step one day at a time
one day at a time that's how growth happens it's one day at a time and it begins to add up
and this is where a lot of us get in trouble in life in general we we want growth we we do
but we have very little patience for it and so a week or two weeks or a month
into it we don't see the results that we were hoping for and and we give up but the bible
says in Galatians don't grow weary in doing good because at the right time you'll reap a harvest
if you don't give up you stick with it little habits one day at a time it's the little things
you do things that are easy to do but easy not to do that add up and determine who you are the key
for us is to say one day at a time I'm gonna be consistent in some some small small things
what that means is that everything that happens
today matters victory isn't one huge thing and then all of a sudden you're undefeated
it's a small thing continually repeated the steps that are going to get us a thousand miles need to
be small enough that they're sustainable you see why do so many people not get there it's because
so many of us do what Zechariah says not to do and we despise the days of small things we look at the
one push-up and go that's there's no way that's going to help me so what's the point we look at what
we're paying on our credit card to pay it down and we say that's not even going to cover the interest
I'm going to incur this month and we despise the small things that if we just kept persisting and
just kept persisting and just kept persisting in the little by little by little by little
city but I say that eventually you'd get somewhere great but we just get discouraged because we want
instant progress we want instantly to see that we've made a difference and that's just not how it
works but if we trust the process like Job says though we start little look at this
we start little we can end with much if you just keep trucking but God prepares us to
change the world by working in us one day at a time and that can be hard for us we don't always
like the one day at a time approach we like the all-at-once approach we like it to happen quickly
we uh we want it instantly instant is an important word for us culturally you put the word instant
in front of anything it's a lot better right we want transformation to happen instantly
but the sanctification process the way we become more like Jesus is one day at a time so we we come
to Jesus we take a step of surrender we put our trust in Jesus we're baptized and we start out on
a path but the process of becoming like Jesus that continues until the day we go to heaven
if we're going to do anything great in this life it is going to require discipline that's the truth
if you are going to accomplish anything extraordinary with the days the Lord has trusted
to you on this planet it is going to require you pushing through the discomfort and embracing the
grind do we make excuses to get out of discipline I can't go to work today because I'm hitting
snooze because I can't I can't spend time with God this morning I'll do it later I'll do it this
evening I'll do it before I go to bed or are we busy but lack something to show for the busyness
and the enemy he'll convince you of that so that you never produce anything great with your life
I think that the ultimate goal of the enemy is that he would just keep you in a place of
doing nothing great for the kingdom nothing great with your life not living your purpose
if you know anybody that's going to do something great with their life they're either part of
the less than one percent or they discipline themselves and when it got hard they pressed in
we sometimes want some huge revelation
we want some profound experience when what we really need oftentimes
is just a more predictable schedule a more disciplined schedule we we want some inspirational
some kind of inspirational resolution when what we really need sometimes is just
some more intentional routine in our lives some Holy Spirit inspired habits
we we want this big profound moment but so much of who we are and who will be at the end of this year
is going to be determined by the little things we do or don't do every day one day at a time
is how we serve the Lord you know serving God is not just a week to week Sunday experience
it's a day by day lifestyle a day by day walk it's God who helps us to live successfully
on a day-by-day basis it's him for my everyday decisions I need his wisdom
I need his direction every day I want to talk about living life just
one day at a time it's what you have right now it's where you are right now
it's not tomorrow that's coming it's not whatever has happened in the past
but it is where you are right now that God gives you
every day and breath that you've got you've got it for right now
that's why God calls it a present it's a gift from him that you've got
I may not make it till tomorrow I know I've made it from yesterday but folks
where you are right now you can live and Lord help me to live just one day at a time remember this
as your days so shall your strength be you're alive right now enjoy the blessings of the Lord
the time that we've been given is a gift it's a gift we shouldn't take it for granted
and we we can't get caught up in the cycle of life that is so easy to do where we just
continue going on our days and not really thinking about how we spend our precious time
there's a quote from the music man and uh
the main character the character uh Professor Hill is trying to get this girl to go take a
walk with him and she's like oh no maybe maybe not today maybe maybe tomorrow and he says if
you pile up enough tomorrow's you'll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays
when we spend our time it's gone our time is precious it's precious
but Ferris Bueller told us when we were young that life moves pretty fast and if you don't stop and
look around once in a while you might miss it be diligent be diligent with how you use your time