It Starts Small

Have you ever made a mistake?

Have you ever failed at something?

I do not know about you but I take failure pretty hard. I tend to beat myself up and take all the blame when life takes an unexpected turn or comes up short.

I heard a preacher say something profound to my heart:

Friend, if God allows you to go through this, take heed, and pay close attention to what God is teaching you.

The disciples in the early church took Jesus very serious when He said Love your neighbor as yourself. They worked hard to take care of the widows, the abandoned, the fatherless and poor. They sent food to them everyday, but despite their best efforts, a group of widows got neglected.

How did they manage to exclude an entire group?

It was a language barrier. These widows spoke Greek and could not understand Aramaic and they were sent home hungry.

How many times have you found yourself in this situation?

“We have a choice. We can beat ourselves up internally. Have those deep discussions of how “stupid” we are or how could we do such a “stupid” thing… or we can see choose to see it as the gracious God giving us a divine opportunity to grow!

What did the disciples do?

They appoint a group of Greek-speaking men to investigate the situation. They did not throw their hands up and decide to quit the whole program because they were failures. No, they they kept working for a solution. They knew it was more than just food. It was about understanding the needs of these widows and caring for them.

What was the result?

So the word of God spread, the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly in number, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith.

Acts 6:7

Can we get a little personal for a moment? We make mistakes. We could have done better. But listen to what God is speaking to you today! Your “failure” does not define you! Our God does! If God says you are redeemed, who in the world can say other?

“I am a failure” belongs with the “old normal.” Leave that behind you.

 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus

Romans 8:1

Can we step towards the new normal with a new perspective and attitude towards mistakes and failures: IT is an opportunity to learn from the Lord and for Him to transform our lives!

Thoughts to Ponder:

• Are you still carrying regrets from the old normal?
• Are you willing to see yourself as God does and let those old normal ways go?
• Can you bring these regrets to the Lord and let Him teach you and heal you?
• How can God redeem it for His glory?

© Kimberlee Smith 2025 http://www.itstartssmall.com All rights reserved.