Start Small

Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand (Zechariah 4:10, NLT).

It was a gloomy weekend morning, and I was feeling super lazy. I hadn’t slept great the night before. It was a gray, cloudy day outside, and I was cuddled on the couch feeling a little off.

It wasn’t that I felt ill physically, but what I did have was a pretty strong case of the “blahs.” When this feeling starts to creep up, I have learned that it’s important for me to make myself get up and do something before that feeling makes its way from my head and settles into my heart.

Being in that spot can be difficult—I know I need to get up and do something productive, spend time with the Lord, pray, be physically active, etc. But the pull of the enemy is quite strong as he attempts to keep me seated right where I am, surrounded by a cloud of general apathy, sadness, loneliness, or whatever other negative emotion I may be feeling targeted by in the moment.

Isn’t life usually that way, though? When we need to work out, we struggle to get ourselves motivated. When we need to eat healthy, we find ourselves craving sugar. When we need to pray, it can be difficult to get started. When we need to worship, we have trouble finding our voice. Those moments are the ones in which we need to remember to start small.

That particular morning, the Lord gave me the strength to do just that. After getting up to refill my coffee cup, instead of walking back to the couch, I made myself start a small load of laundry. It wasn’t anything particularly ground-breaking as far as productivity goes, but that small act was something that helped pull me out of the funk I was stuck in that morning.

I love the second verse of Psalm 40, which reminds us that no matter how stuck we feel, and no matter the depth of the pit of our despair, He is always there: 2He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. It might seem a little intense to reference this verse in regard to a case of the “blahs,” but I really don’t believe that at all. When Jesus tells us that He will pull us out of the pit of despair, I believe He really means that, despite the depth of what we’re experiencing.

Maybe you find yourself in a pit of despair today as you’re reading this. You’re in constant pain. You lost your job. You’re struggling to lose the weight you need to feel better. You or someone you love is dealing with a medical crisis. Your children are struggling behaviorally. Or maybe you’re like I was that weekend morning and find yourself in a funk that you just can’t shake.

I know the emotions can feel overwhelming at times, and the burden can feel so heavy that you have no idea where to start to get yourself out of the valley you’re in right now. Whatever you’re facing, I want to remind you today that Jesus sees you, He knows the emotions and desires of your heart, and He is there, with outstretched hands, to meet you in your despair. The most beautiful thing about Psalm 40 is when you keep reading:

3He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord. 4Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord, who have no confidence in the proud or in those who worship idols.5O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them.

I love those words from David. Though it doesn’t mean I won’t have my moments of despair, it does always help draw my focus back to His faithfulness. And if I’ve learned anything on my spiritual journey over the last several years, it’s that my mindset will almost always drift in the direction of my focus. Sometimes one of the best things we can do when we’re struggling with despair or find ourselves in a funk is to start with something small that will help us shift our focus to the goodness of God.

That particular morning, the decision to start small with a load of laundry led to three loads of laundry, vacuuming the house, cooking myself breakfast, making a few snacks for the week, and baking an entire batch of homemade cinnamon rolls. Take that, devil!

What could have been a day of battling the enemy for my thoughts ended up being a day full of productivity that ended with sharing my homemade cinnamon rolls with people the Lord has blessed my life with. All because I chose, in His strength, to start small. That’s why I want to point you today to the verse from Zechariah 4:10 that tells us: Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.

Start walking for 10 minutes each day. Cut out one sugary food from your diet. If it’s all you can muster, pray with one word. Turn on the worship music. Start that load of laundry. Whatever you’re facing right now, let me encourage and remind you that Jesus can take something small and do with it far more than we could ever hope for or imagine.