It’s all about the small things when it comes down to relationships.
Tiny actions go a long way. Yet, they seem insignificant, too small and incapable of making a difference.
Many people feel like tiny acts of connecting with God are not good enough. They wait until they have an entire day off to pray and read the Bible.
And sometimes they skip it altogether.
Small actions have an impact!
Research backs up the fact that the biggest transformations begin with tiny actions repeated frequently, instead of massive leaps performed once in a while.
Here’s what you can do practically to build your connection with God without feeling guilty for not spending loads of time on spiritual practices.
Gratitude
Being grateful changes your attitude and helps you focus on the spiritual realities.
Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NLT)
Gratitude is God’s will for us in Christ. He desires that we’re grateful in all things. Paul encourages believers to be grateful in all circumstances, not for all circumstances.
Not everything that we find ourselves in, is God’s will. His will is that you never shift from an attitude of gratefulness to complaining.
Wherever you are, you can be grateful for something. If you had a good night’s sleep, thank Him for it. If you have enough food to have breakfast, thank Him for it. If you don’t feel well, find something positive and thank Him for it.
Get into a habit of bringing up a specific point of gratitude at random times during the day. It takes only a few seconds to say but has the potential to bring your focus closer to God and completely change your attitude for the better.
Remembering He is near
Even when we fail to connect to God, He is near to us.
I will never leave you nor forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5b, ESV)
God promised to be with us. He will never leave us, no matter how busy we get. However, we need to remember this reality at all times.
If we forget that He is near, we fail to connect to Him. He never leaves us, but our focus often leaves Him.
There’s a way to learn to live in His presence continuously. It’s a skill several men of God developed. In the book The Practice of the Presence of God, Brother Lawrence writes:
The time of business does not with me differ from the time of prayer; and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God in as great tranquility…
No matter how busy we get, we can remember that God is near. The constant awareness of His nearness is a skill we, as Brother Lawrence, can develop.
Remind yourself that God is near as often as you can. This practice will help you sense His closeness. Remember that you can live in the sense of His presence continuously.
2-minute quiet time
Here’s a little hack you can use when you are surrounded by people all day long.
No matter how busy you get, you still have to use the bathroom.
Even if you’re at the busiest airport, toilets can be tiny islands where you can withdraw to find 2 minutes alone. When you need some time of solitude, go to the bathroom, shut the door and set the timer for how many minutes you feel are appropriate to hide.
The radical environmental change will feel like a refreshing vacation. Using it to connect to God will feel very rewarding and refreshing.
Last thoughts
When you want to seek Him, you’ll find a way. The more often you connect to God, the more you will enjoy His presence. Once you get into the rhythm, it will get easier.
Remember, it’s not about big leaps but about small steps that build the relationship. They matter a lot more than big leaps.
