Invisible Triumphs: Magnifying the Power of Small Wins That Shape Your Future
Hopeless. Good for nothing. Uninspiring. Wasteful. These are thoughts that intrude my mind from time to time, when I don’t feel like anything I am doing is accomplishing anything of significant value. My goal in life is to know God as deeply as I possibly can, to instill that same love and desire for God in my wife and children, and help others in the world know Jesus. As nice as I think these goals are, there are very few moments in my day, week, month, or even year, that I feel like I am even slightly working towards these goals. The irony is that I spend so much time spinning my wheels trying to find the next big thing to accomplish that has tangible and evident results, that I often miss the small wins that are right in front of my eyes.
I read about Elijah bringing God glory in the epic story in 1 Kings 18 where he calls down fire from God and destroys the prophets of Baal, and I get so inspired that I set my face to accomplish similar things that day. (Spiritually speaking. Harmless as doves, right?) But the day unfolds like any other typical day. No calling down fire from heaven. No groundbreaking event that brings God glory. Nothing really special or exciting happens.
The same thing happens day after day. I read about David and Goliath, Esther’s bravery, Daniel’s absolute commitment to God, and then in my life fail to see any sort of major accomplishments that represent those stories in the slightest way. This stuff will really get to me if I let it. But the thing is, I am terribly wrong. I am attempting to do something only God can do: look into the future.
You see, I tend to obsess about the future in such a way that it makes me completely apathetic to the now. Basically, I’m looking thousands of yards down the freeway but am not even paying attention to my dashboard right in front me flashing that menacing “check engine” icon at me. I have things right now that I should be addressing, focusing on, and appreciating, and yet I tend to ignore these things and give priority to the future. Plainly speaking, I need to learn to be present in this moment, because the very future that I obsess over depends on my ability to invest in the things I currently have before my eyes.
My wife and children that I love so much, are not guaranteed to me.They are a blessing from God, not a right. What if I spend all this time focusing on how to ensure their futures will be great, that I waste all the time I have with them right now? All of my obsessing would be for nothing, and ironically, be a waste of time, If something ever happened to them. I would have spent the only time I actually had with them, obsessing about a future that did not actually exist.
The depressing part is over, let's focus on the good stuff.
A few weeks ago I was having one of these typical moments I just explained. Then I got a text from my wife while I was at work. My son, who is a toddler, had a Bible in his hands and was walking around saying “Daddy book! Daddy book”. I cannot begin for a moment to express how happy this makes me. “Daddy Book” as in, “This Bible right here, is what my dad reads.This Bible IS in fact, daddy book”.
I realize, as my eyes begin to water, that although I don’t see a dramatic unfolding of miracles taking place every single day like we read about in the Bible, I am laying the groundwork for God to accomplish big things like those events we read about, through my everyday actions. I realize at this moment that all of these small and microscopic wins are exactly the means of achieving those huge goals that I so badly want to achieve. It is at this moment that I realize I need to give more credit to those small wins that are happening every day all around me, as a direct result of my actions.
Although I lay my head down some nights not believing that I accomplished anything for the Lord, or for providing a godly foundation for my kids, It’s simply not true. My kids are soaking up more information that I am even aware of. My son sees me living my life day in and day out, and making time to read my Bible not only for myself but also to our family. He feels confident making the statement that the Bible is in fact, daddy’s book. When he is older and able to make his own decision to read the Bible for himself, he will know that daddy greatly treasured the word of God.
We should take a microscope to those nearly invisible wins that we are accomplishing every single day. Even though the wins are small, they are directly responsible for paving the way to bigger things in the future. Maybe my son will value the Bible like I do and help many people in this world because of it, including himself. Maybe my wife will be encouraged by a compliment I give her, and that will give her the strength to carry on even with her insane workload. Maybe my girls won't settle for a deadbeat husband because of how hard I work to keep a roof over our heads. Maybe they won’t just want flowers, they will expect them, because daddy buys them for mommy all the time. All these little things we do day by day really do directly apply to our future goals. All of these small wins can point people to Christ. Everything ties back to the Bible.
Timothy was mentioned by Paul to have a sincere faith. This is something we all hope would be said about us. I want people to know that I really love Jesus, and this isn't just an act. Timothy was the real deal, and the Bible goes on to say that this faith he had was first seen by Paul in Timothy’s grandmother Lois. I imagine Lois preparing meals in love for Timothy while talking about God's faithfulness to us and His ability to meet our daily needs. I imagine Lois helping Timothy overcome a battle in his life and encouraging him with the scriptures. It is evident that the faith that Lois had in God, played a crucial role in the faith of Timothy. I am sure all those little wins that Lois had in her life are what paved the way for her grandson to accomplish mighty works for God. Dear brother or sister, it is time we notice and value those small wins that are going unnoticed in our lives. Small wins will add up to big wins, never forget that.
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