Doing Small Things to Make a Difference

READ: GALATIANS 6:8-10

I spend a lot of time at home, and sometimes that makes me feel like I’m not touching as many lives as I should. But as I thought about it more, I realized there are lots of things I do while I am at home to look out for others and be there for my fellow believers. Like me, you might feel like you’re not doing enough, but there are small things you can do in your everyday life to make a difference.

When we put our trust in Jesus, believing in His life, death, and resurrection, His love transforms us, and He calls us to share that love with others. It’s easy to think we’re only called to minister to those who don’t know God, but that’s not true. Jesus calls us to look out for our fellow believers too. So when we’re home and we serve someone we live with, whether they’re a believer or not, we are serving God. When we surprise them by doing something special for them, we’re following what Paul says in Galatians 6:10, “Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.”

We may think we need to be doing big things in order to serve God or live the way He wants us to. But the truth is, there are many things we can do that aren’t necessarily going to be noticed by everyone but can still touch lives just the same. Getting someone their favorite snack, helping with their chores, or just being a listening ear are all everyday ways to serve the people God has placed in our everyday lives. We can show the love of Jesus to the people around us, whether we spend a lot of time out and about or we spend most of our time at home, whether we go to school or are homeschooled, whether or not we have a job we go to. As long as we’re looking to God for direction and relying on Him to help us live how He calls us to, the small things we do out of obedience to Him can change lives. • Emily Acker

• Can you think of a time somebody did a small, everyday thing that made you feel loved? What was that like? What have you been able to do recently that showed others God’s love?

• Sometimes, it’s hard to think of ways to serve the people around us. Have you asked God how He wants you to serve? Consider spending some time in prayer, asking Jesus to show you how you could show His love to the people around you.

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)