There is an old adage that says, “The only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.” Of course, no one wants to eat an elephant literally, but the adage reminds us that even the most daunting of tasks can be whittled away in smaller increments.
You may be facing some daunting challenges in your life. Maybe you are in over your head financially. Maybe your marriage is less than ideal, or your relationship with your kids is strained. Maybe you have a work project that seems impossible to accomplish. Maybe your spiritual journey has somehow stalled or gotten off-track and you feel more distant from Jesus than ever.
Let me suggest some small bites you might take out of the elephants in your life.
- Honestly assess where you are in the most important areas of your life. You can employ an matrix you wish to assess yourself, but be honest. You can’t get to where you want to be until you honestly come to grips with where you are.
- Ask God where He wants to move you in this area. We can set goals and standards for ourselves, but unless we are moving toward Him, we will always find ourselves unfulfilled and overwhelmed. Spend several days in prayer over the important areas, asking God to give you His vision for your life.
- Pick out ONE SMALL STEP that will lead you closer to where God wants you. Be specific. Maybe it is a prayer and Bible reading plan, or a date night with your spouse. Maybe it is breaking down a project at work into manageable sections. Whatever the case, start with just ONE STEP and take it.
- Once you complete that step, take another. Then another. And another. Each step of the way, take a moment to reassess. Make sure that step moved you closer to the goal, and then prepare for the next step.
Even after writing this, I look back and it seems overly simplistic. But if it so simple, then why aren’t we doing it? Why do we choke trying to swallow a whole elephant? Begin your small steps TODAY.