My feet trembled as I carefully stepped out onto the tower deck. I peered over the ledge, a forty-foot drop, and immediately resumed my place at the wall, gripping a nearby post for dear life. This was my first time on a zipline in years, and I had never been on one this high. On top of that, I wasn’t choosing to ride this for fun—I was riding it because my camp internship required me to learn how to work it, which meant riding it first.
The other, more experienced interns calmly clipped me into the proper ropes and coaxed me to let go of the back wall, while all the time my brain reminded me of my fear of heights. I stood on the edge, heart pounding, considering all the “what-ifs” of leaving the tower and trusting this one rope to carry me the 480 feet to the end of the zipline. Finally, after five minutes (which felt like five hours) I held my breath, squeezed my eyes shut, leaned into the rope, and pushed off the platform.
I took a leap of faith.
The Exhilarating Yes
Steps of obedience are often breathtaking. When God asks you to trust Him and say yes to His plan, it can feel like stepping off a ledge that holds comfort, familiarity, and safety.
And while those big “yeses” can be scary and intimidating, they can also be fun. Adventurous. Or at the very least, the adrenaline that comes from the risk of leaping into the unknown can be thrilling.
Think of a time when you took a big leap of faith. You knew the Lord was calling you to something new. Maybe it was a decision that required courage, boldness, or perhaps it was a change unlike anything you’d known before. And you did it! You took the job, you signed the adoption papers, you packed up your possessions and moved, you broke off the unhealthy relationship—whatever God called you to do, you said yes in a step of faith and trust.
Those kinds of “yeses” are easy to trace because of the level of commitment they require—it’s the very nature of a big decision. We can look back on the timeline of our lives and point to those big moments. They’re the ones marked by God’s obvious presence and the big faith required of us.
But what about when saying yes to God looks less like a zipline and more like washing the dishes? Do the times we’re called to something less extravagant, less exhilarating than a “big yes,” matter just as much?
Faithful in It All, Even the Small
The big moments aren’t the only times God asks for our surrender. The reality is that the majority of our lives are made up of small, seemingly unimportant moments. And the more I read God’s Word, the more convinced I am that those middle moments aren’t for nothing. He is always up to something. Every moment is a chance to say “yes,” to let the Holy Spirit work in and through you.
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. —1 Cor. 10:31
Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own understanding;
in all your ways know him,
and he will make your paths straight. —Prov. 3:5–6And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. —Col. 3:17
What is the common denominator in these verses? A collective focus on centering every action around Jesus. “Do everything for the glory of God.” “In allyour ways know Him.” “Whatever you do . . . do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.”
Every move, every activity has kingdom potential. Everything we do in obedience to the Lord is an act of worship. Every big thing. Every little thing.
You may wonder, How does folding my laundry glorify God? You’re taking care of what He has given you. While you run cycle after cycle—wash, dry, fold, repeat—use that time to thank Him for providing you with what you need. Sing a song of praise. Meditate on a passage from Scripture. Pray for each member of your family as you fold their clothes. The possibilities are endless for turning an ordinary chore into an intentional, delightful focus on Christ.
If we saw every waking second as an open invite from the Lord Himself to join Him in fulfilling His purposes in and through us, how would that change our thoughts? Our actions? The way we get out of bed each morning?
I think it would cause us to turn away from our instinct to grumble, complain, or view daily actions as simply “getting the job done.” Our natural bent is to serve ourselves, and when we don’t see any benefit to our actions, we tend to numb our minds while completing tasks or wait for the day we get to do something of “real value.” But if we only knew the gravity of saying yes to Jesus in the small moments.
Everything we do is an opportunity for God to work as He speaks to us, as we worship Him, and as we submit in faithful obedience to whatever He puts before us. Nothing is wasted—not phone calls to a client, not rocking your baby back to sleep, not time spent listening to a friend navigating life’s storms, not dusting your home. A regular trip to the store could become the most important thing you do today. Your smile and “thank you” to the cashier may make her feel seen after a day of hurried shoppers and no acknowledgement. And even when you’re alone in your home, God is always working to grow you, to refine you as you become more like Him.
As a believer you have “put on the new self. You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator” (Col. 3:10). In all you do, you reflect Christ as He continues to do His work in you. Let’s not underestimate small moments.
Are we aware of the hundreds of opportunities to submit to God’s will each day? Do we notice the ways God asks us to say yes in our daily routine? Do we believe God is asking for our trust, for us to take a step of faith even in the mundane moments?
A Wholly Surrendered Life
I ended up loving the zipline and learning to work it after my reluctant “yes” to riding it. But I never would have reached that point had I not said yes to the “little” steps along the way: God’s plans for my schooling, applying for countless jobs even after rejections, worshiping while I waited with no solid plan in sight. Sometimes the “little yeses” are necessary to help us say yes to the bigger steps of faith God calls us to.
We never know what’s around the corner when we say yes to God. But we can be sure “that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6).
The invitation is always open to seek Him as you do the dishes, show kindness, or put your phone down and just be present. You might be surprised at what happens when you surrender to Jesus and pay attention to His presence in every moment.
Even if your next “yes” to God doesn’t involve a zipline moment or your idea of “adventure,” you can be certain that He is ready and waiting to use your available heart even in the most ordinary circumstances.
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