I have often struggled with New Year’s resolutions—primarily because I rarely succeed in following through. But over the years, I’ve realized that one reason I fail is that I tend to aim too big. I bite off more than I can chew. Then, I beat myself up. Another issue? I expect results to happen much sooner than they actually happen. “I’ve been at this for three weeks now… Why am I not skinny yet? Gahhhh!”
Here’s the thing: I think we often approach our spiritual lives the same way. We decide we’re going to grow in our faith, so we pile on commitments: praying more, reading our Bible daily, joining a study, giving more of our time to this, and donating more money to that. These are all wonderful goals, but sometimes we don’t realize just how much time and energy they’ll require. Or we assume that by doing these things, we’ll feel like completely transformed people overnight. When that doesn’t happen, we throw our hands up in disgust with ourselves.
Have you ever seen What About Bob? starring Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss. The first time I watched it, I despised it. "Bob," played by Murray, got on my last nerve. I’ve since grown to appreciate the movie—especially its iconic one-liner: baby steps. Before we can even take big, adult-sized steps (not to mention leaps), we need to start with small, baby steps, and that’s okay. That's true in our physical lives; it's also true in our spiritual lives.
As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:2,
“I gave you milk to drink instead of solid food, because you weren’t up to it yet” (CEB).
There’s grace in that.
Even though John Wesley noted that it was possible with God’s help for someone to experience a complete transformation of life in an instant (I mean, God is God, and all things are possible with God!), he noted that for most of us, it takes time. Change is incremental, and that’s okay. That’s grace. And know this, God doesn’t sit around waiting for us to change all on our own. God is continually taking the initiative to invite us to make baby steps of change and giving us the ability to do so! That, too, is grace.
But Wesley also believed that refusing to take those baby steps is to refuse God’s gift of grace, grace that nourishes us and enables us to grow.
So, what’s my point? If you made resolutions to grow in your faith this year and feel like you’re failing, give yourself some grace, because God is giving you lots of grace! Take some time to reevaluate your hopes and goals. Were they too big? It’s not a failure to adjust them. In fact, it’s wise.
Consider inviting someone you trust into your discernment. Your pastoral team is always here to walk with you, and I’m sure there’s someone else at WUMC who would love to journey alongside you, just as you walk with them.
And remember: don’t compare your faith journey to someone else’s. The baby steps that work for me may not be the steps God is inviting you to take. That’s okay. Some of us may make first steps by starting with prayer, Bible reading, or study, while others may need to begin with an act of service. The important thing is to take your step, not someone else’s.
That said, don’t dismiss opportunities too quickly just because they may not seem like the “perfect fit.” I encourage you to give new things a try. And if they don’t work out? It’s not a mistake. God’s grace is present in every step, and God can use anything—even what feels like a detour—to help you take your next (baby) step of faith. That’s grace.
If I can help you figure out your next steps, I’d love to hear from you. And if you have a recommendation for what my next step of faith should be, I hope you’ll share it with me.
Together with you and Christ on the journey,
~Deacon Troy
