Perspective -- One Day at a Time

"Perspective-One Step at a Time"

"I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart."
(Psalm 40:8)

Last weekend I wrote about perspective and seeing the big picture. We thought about the danger of "living in the moment" without thinking of the "big picture" consequences. Today, I want to ask you to "live in the moment-one step at a time."

The church I am privileged to serve, First Baptist of Toms River, supports a young couple who are Christian workers in a restricted access country. Their goal is simple: they want to take the Gospel to Muslims who have so little chance to know Jesus.

During one of their visits to First Baptist this young wife said something that so caught my attention that I wrote it down in the flyleaf of my Bible. Actually, other than my name, it's the only thing I have written down in the flyleaf. I don't remember the context in which she made this statement, but after several years of thinking about it, I still think it's quite profound.

"The important thing is to say 'yes,' one step at a time." That's what she said. When challenged to go live in a hard place, the important thing is to say "yes." When asked to raise their children far from their grandparents, the important thing is to say "yes." When asked in a particular situation to live in obedience to Jesus' teaching, the important thing is to say "yes."

We really do need perspective. It helps us live out the marathon that is our Christian journey. We need to understand that every "yes" and every "no" have consequences. Perspective helps us know about and live with a "big picture" mindset.

But, "one step at a time" is how we live out the "big picture" calling that God places on our lives. We live one step at a time, and we often don't know where the next step might take us. Choosing to say "yes" to God one step at a time becomes the order of our lives. Every "yes" to God's will makes the next "yes" easier. Obedience and a willingness to follow God becomes the norm of our lives. That can only happen when we "delight to do [His] will" one step at a time.

The words to a song we've sung at First Baptist have rattled around in my head this week. I think they go with the statement from my Christian worker friend.

Yes, Lord, yes, to Your will and to Your way,
Yes, Lord, yes, I will trust You and obey.
When Your Spirit speaks to me, with my whole heart I'll agree,
And my answer will be yes, Lord.

When the psalmist said "I delight to do Your will, O Lord," he might have been thinking "the important thing is to say "yes," one step at a time." - Pastor John Strain is Senior Pastor First Baptist of Toms River and is our weekend Freedom Fighter contributor.

God's WORD for YOU: 1 Kings 16-18; Luke 22:47-71

Think About This: If you knew that only a few would care that you came, would you still come? If you knew that those you loved would laugh in your face, would you still care? If you knew that the tongues you made would mock you, the mouths you made would spit at you, the hands you made would crucify you, would you still make them? Christ did. Max Lucado