Jess shares her thought for the week; small obedience. Big breakthrough.

Recently I’ve been thinking a lot about the fact that most of life isn’t made up of big defining moments. Of course we look back and we see them, but most of our time is spent in the ordinary days. It can feel repetitive, and maybe even frustrating at times.

In Luke 5, we see Peter has been fishing all night and he’s caught nothing. He’s tired, discouraged, and begins to pack up for the day – but then Jesus tells him to go back out and let the nets down once more. Now Peter is a fisherman, and I can imagine he’s probably thinking that he knows better than Jesus in this area, because it’s his area of expertise. But still, Peter says, “Because you say so, I will let the nets down.”

This isn’t a big life-turning moment – or at least it didn’t look like one. It was an ordinary moment in Peter’s day, at the end of a long, fruitless shift when he was tired and frustrated, but he still chose to be obedient. And that’s what changes everything. It’s when an ordinary moment becomes extraordinary. The nets begin to fill, the boats begin to overflow, and it all started with a small act of obedience.

We spend so much time thinking about what is going to come next in life — the new career, the new job, the next step — that I think sometimes we miss what God has already put in front of us. It’s not that being ambitious, or any of these things, are bad. But sometimes we get into a mindset that says, “When I get there, I’ll step up and really serve and give it my best.” But often God isn’t asking you to chase something new all of the time. Instead, he’s asking you to be faithful and obedient where you’re already planted – to serve where you already are, to show up in the small and unseen things, and then to trust that he’ll bring the next thing when you’re prepared for it, and that he’ll show you the steps to take to get there.

The breakthrough didn’t come before Peter’s obedience – instead, it came after it. And the same is true for us. The things we are searching for are often on the other side of our obedience to God, in the here and in the now.

So maybe this week you might join me in thinking: what is that “because you say so” moment in my life? What small thing is God asking you to do, even if it doesn’t make perfect sense to you? Because the small things aren’t so small anymore when they have the opportunity to shape who you are. God used that moment, and Peter showed up and followed Jesus, and he became one of the twelve. So how much more can God use your ordinary moment too?

This week, don’t underestimate your simple obedience. Be faithful where you are, and trust that God can do more than you expect. Have a great week.

Every week one of our members shares a short thought aiming to inspire you for the week. You can watch previous Thought For The Week videos by clicking here.