Giving Thanks for the
Little Things
If we do not give thanks daily for the Christian fellowship in which we have been placed, even where there is no great experience, no discoverable riches, but much weakness, small faith, and difficulty; if on the contrary, we only keep complaining to God that everything is so paltry and petty, so far from what we expected, then we hinder God from letting our fellowship grow according to the measure and riches which are there for us all in Jesus Christ.
—Dietrich Bonhoeffer,
Life Together
“Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much” (Luke 16:10). When we find ourselves waiting on God for provision for big things we allow that to distract us from the little things He has already provided. What can we do to maintain our focus? Bonhoeffer points the way. We must give thanks daily for the little things. It’s how we got to the point we are at, but our gaze goes to the great things we can imagine rather than to the step-by-step journey that got us here. As you think of your journey, don’t imagine all the things you will do for God if and when He supplies. Do great things for God right now, with whatever He has supplied, and He will continue to resource you. This is yet another one of those paradoxical components of the Christian faith that we only figure out as we live it out: Let us give thanks daily for the little things. —DH
—David Hoskins, Founder & Care Guide, Sanctuary Clinics