The true test of a person’s spiritual life and character...

“The true test of a person’s spiritual life and character is not what he does in the extraordinary moments of life, but what he does during the ordinary times when there is nothing tremendous or exciting happening.” Oswald Chambers

The end of first quarter is this Friday. It is the culmination of many small things, and some not so small. Some are looking forward to receiving their quarter report cards; others are not so interested.

Have you ever felt that it was a hassle to do something? Faced with duties below your position or that make you feel like you are wasting your time? On the other hand, maybe it appears that in tackling the small things the result will have a seemingly small impact or appear to have little purpose. There are times when I feel that some things do not make a difference. Usually these are things which exert influence on future events, and I have failed to comprehend the magnitude of their influence.

Recently, while visiting my dentist this reality hit home. As a child, I neglected to take care of my teeth, a seemingly small thing to me as a child. As a result, I had some cavities and therefore received some fillings. Now as an adult, I am dealing with the problem of fillings that go bad. I have one tooth in particular that has a rather large filling in it, and yes, this filling has gone bad. Now I have to have a crown. Bummer! This all could have been avoided if I had only done a small thing as a child—flossed my teeth.

Missed opportunity is one of those merciless and gnawing events. It eats at you causing sleeplessness, loss of appetite (or the opposite), depression, anger—or whatever else you can think of. You name it. I was reading the other day about a man in the Bible who did a simple thing, which had a major impact upon his life. His name was Enoch, and in Genesis 5:21-23, you can read about him. What an amazing person! All we know about him is that he “walked with God,” and one day he disappeared. The Bible tells us that God took Him.

Oswald Chambers once said, “A person’s worth is revealed in his attitude toward the ordinary things of life when he is not under the spotlight.” Enoch did a simple thing well; he walked with God. Because he was focused on the right thing at the right time, it meant that he did not have to die. I wonder what would happen if each of us took the small things more seriously. How would the lives of those around us be influenced or even changed? 1 Peter 4:10 says, “Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it” (TMSG).

Since second quarter begins Tuesday, our students will have the opportunity to try doing the small things differently. I hope that some will understand better the importance of small things. I hope you will consider the small things that you are being asked to do, and consider doing them well. You never know what will happen.

Thanks for reading!