Every Moment Matters

Isn’t it interesting how we go through our lives feeling like most of our moments don’t matter? 

We go through our days, waiting and reaching for the important moments, the ones we think matter, the ones other people care about, the ones we’re excited or nervous for, the ones that mark achievements and accomplishments and milestones. We mindlessly pass the time when we’re not busy, or we wish we weren’t so busy so we could just mindlessly pass the time. We wish away one kind of busy-ness for another kind that’s more ‘worth our time.’ We sigh at the dish washing and floor sweeping and laundry folding; we roll our eyes at the meetings and the lines and the waiting; we glaze over at our kids’ latest description of Fortnite victories (or defeats) or at our coworker’s not-so-fresh complaint about their job. We live so many of our moments on autopilot, just going through the motions until something important comes along.

And yet Jesus tells us that we prove ourselves faithful in the little things. Scripture tells us that everything we do matters, not just the ‘special’ things. To God, every moment is important. We show our true selves, our real hearts, our life’s focus in the unimportant moments. How (and why) we fulfill those boring, thankless tasks. How we respond to those stories we don’t care to hear (and the people behind them). How we drive to work (and what we think about the other drivers). What foods we choose to eat, and why. How we speak to strangers we’ll never see again in the store. What shows we watch when we’re relaxing. The ways we pass the time when we’re bored. The things we think about when there’s nothing we have to think about. The things no one else sees, the things no one else will ever know about – these are the ‘little’ things that make up most of life, and these are where we are called to be faithful, whether or not we ever get to the ‘big’ things. 

Because there is, of course, One who sees every moment. Our loving Creator sees it all — and more than that, He is with us all in those moments. And even more than that, if we belong to Him through faith in Jesus, He is in us in all those moments, and we are in Him. 

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live,
but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh
I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20 ESV

It is Christ who lives in me. Not just in the big things. Not just in the ‘important’ moments. In all the moments. 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

We tend to think the big things are more important, so we focus on those — or we wait to focus until we get to those. But if we haven’t shown ourselves faithful in those ‘inconsequential’ moments, why would God entrust us with anything more significant? 

Now, thankfully, we need not be discouraged, because we serve a God who is full of grace and mercy and steadfast love, and our sins have all been paid for by the blood of Christ, and His righteousness is counted as ours. So even though we all (ALL) fail to show ourselves faithful in many, many moments, our good Father still uses us for good in His Kingdom, still grants us the privilege of serving and being helpful. What a joy it is to be invited to be part of God’s work, despite our many failings!

Yet we must not take this for granted, or use it as license to continue in our self-focused ways. His kindness is, after all, meant to lead us to repentance. 

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
Romans 2:4 ESV

So where we know we have chosen self over God or over others, where we know we have lived by our own desires instead of walking in His ways, where we know we are still wearing the old self, let His kindness lead us now to repentance. 

We can recognize those moments where we have considered our lives to be our own, rather than Christ’s, and we can reject that wrong thinking, and we can replace it with right thinking through reading and meditating on the Word of God (see some applicable verses below), which will renew our minds. We can consider and care about what we’re doing and why, humble ourselves before the Lord, and thank Him for His Spirit in us which enables us to walk in His ways and to put on our new selves, created after His own likeness (Ephesians 4:22-24). We can choose to purposely obey, to thoughtfully serve, to joyfully love Him in all our moments, even the most mundane.

Our least important moments, if lived for Him and to His glory, become eternally significant. And if lived for self, are worse than wasted.

Every moment matters. 

One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.
Luke 16:10 ESV

“Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.”
Luke 12:2-3 ESV

“Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
Colossians 3:17 ESV

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that, from the Lord, you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”
Colossians 3:23-24 ESV

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV

“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’”
Matthew 25:23 ESV