Today, we focus on the importance of small actions during the Lenten season, emphasizing that little things do mean a lot. We discuss a quote from C.S. Lewis that highlights how both good and evil can grow exponentially through our daily decisions. Each choice we make, no matter how minor, contributes to our character and spiritual journey. I encourage listeners to be deliberate in their actions and to recognize that even small acts of kindness can lead to significant change in ourselves and others. By reflecting on these ideas, we can build a life that is not only pleasing to God but also impactful in our communities.

Takeaways:

1. The little decisions we make every day hold infinite importance in our lives.
2. Being deliberate in our small actions can lead to a life that pleases God.
3. Responding kindly in stressful situations builds our character and teaches patience.
4. We can contribute to significant causes with small, consistent donations over time.
5. Meeting physical needs, even in small ways, is highly valued by Jesus.
6. Our spiritual growth is nurtured through intentional daily practices and reflections.

Links referenced in this episode:

1. bible805.com
2. whogivesacrap.org
3. worldvision.org
4. ijm.org
5. a21.org
6. Lectio365.com

Companies mentioned in this episode:

1. World Vision
2. International Justice Mission
3. A21
4. Who Gives a Crap

Hi, welcome to the Hobo Soul podcast of road advice from the Bible and from me, Yvon Prehn, someone who's a little further down the road of life. I'll talk to you every weekday for about five to 10 minutes, with periodic longer talks on serious Saturdays. Let's get started with our topic today,

Lenten Devotion Day 6, Little things do mean a lot

During this Lenten season, we're looking at quotes and challenges from my devotional book and journal In Dying We Are Reborn that you can download for free on www.bible805.com.

Each day there's a daily quote and challenge from the book, which I'll read to you and I'll then share my comments on them. Here we go for today.

Today's quote comes from C.S. Lewis, where he says, "Good and evil both increase at compound interest. That is why the little decisions you and I make every day are of such infinite importance.

The smallest good act today is the capture of a strategic point from which a few months later, you may be able to go on to victories you never dreamed of, an apparently trivial indulgence in lust or anger. Today is the loss of a ridge or railway line or bridgehead from which the enemy may launch an attack on otherwise impossible."

Here's today's challenge.

"Our life is built moment by moment, decision by decision. Don't rush unthinkingly through your days.

Be deliberate, good and godly in your actions, no matter how small they seem, and you'll build a life pleasing to God."

Now here's my commentary on the quote and challenge

Little things that we do matter far more spiritually than we realize because they not only build our character, but they reveal who we really are. Now let's get really practical in how we can build a character that is pleasing to God.

Begin your day if you do it this way, focused on God first, instead of just grabbing your phone to check out the latest political outrage, disaster or gossip.

If instead you take some time for a daily Bible reading, time in prayer, just talking to God, and perhaps listening to a short podcast like this one from Hobo Soul or one that I consistently listen to, like Lectio 365 and the links to these are in the show notes, it's going to put your mind and heart in a much better place as you go throughout the day. Now, with that foundation in place, I want to talk about three other situations where little things make a big difference.

The first is a very contemporary example. Now it's about what to do when you call or contact online a company with some sort of service need or question that you have.

Now, chances are this will end up being a big test of your patience and kindness and you need to determine ahead of time how you're going to react.

Again, it isn't a little thing because there's currently another challenge in this and that is how are you going to react when you get a chatbot or an AI agent, a non human entity programmed to sound like a human, but isn't. Now that can be really frustrating and you'll be tempted to scream, yell and maybe use words you wouldn't with a human helper.

Now control yourself when you're tempted in this way because when you lose control with a non human entity, the only one that's really affected is you. You've built a tiny brick in the wall of your character, of a loss of self control and of anger.

But when you react kindly, firmly and clearly, even if it's to a non human entity, and even if the results are not what you'd like, you're building patience and kindness into how you react in stressful situations. The second thing is how do you respond to the really huge needs in our world? You don't have to do big huge things.

You don't have to be a multi millionaire giving away piles of money. People are hungry, they need shelter, water, so many things. Again, we can feel very overwhelmed or we can do just a little thing.

Five, ten dollars a month, maybe just one less latte or burger these days. Give it to groups like three that I love and give to consistently str World Vision, International Justice Mission and A21.

Now the reason I really like World Vision is they have a vast network so that they're always on scene in literally every disaster that happens in our world.

And I really admire that, want to support that. Then IJM and A21 are two organizations that do incredible work with the victims of human trafficking. Again, I'll have links in the show show notes so you can find out more about them.

Think about though, the impact it could have if everyone in your circle of friends literally gave just $10 a month to one of these groups. Lives would be changed.

And there are so many organizations locally, internationally, just whatever it is, be involved in some.

But then there are also alternative groups. Now I want to talk about one you've probably not heard about. Bear with me on this.

But it's a group that I share with people frequently and to do, for example in my Bible studies, periodically they will get packages of individually wrapped toilet paper. Now you might think what now bear with me a minute.

It's not just any toilet paper, but it's wrapped in very brightly colored wrappers that I found out are much less costly and environmentally friendly than the bulk plastic ones. But anyway, it comes from a group.And again, please forgive me, because it kind of might be one little offensive word, but the name of the group is who Gives a Crap?

And they're really funny and they're upbeat and they're very humorous, but they're also deadly serious in that they're a group that donates 50% of their profits to clean water and toilet building projects around the world. And on their website, you can see the millions of dollars they've given away and the many, many things that they do.

Now, it might seem like a little thing to use this toilet paper, which does cost a little bit more than what you'd pay at Costco. But every time you use their product instead of Charmin or whatever it is that you.

A child might not die from dysentery because their family had access to clean water. And then the third thing to consider is that these little things are a really big deal to Jesus.

People oftentimes in churches or whatever, they get all worked up trying to figure out end times prophecy and the signs of the times and what's going to happen when.

And all this kind of stuff, Jesus said that's useless because even he doesn't know when God the Father will wrap it all up and welcome us into the kingdom of God. But Jesus is really clear about what's important to him when that happens.

First of all, he will not be impressed with big things that people think they've done for him.

In Matthew 7, he says pretty bluntly, "People will say to me at that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons, and in your name perform many miracles? And I'll tell him plainly, I never knew you away from me, you evildoers.

But then in Matthew 25, he talks about what will impress him when he says, "Then the king will say to those on his right, come, you blessed of my Father, take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you invited me in.

I needed clothes and you clothed me. I was sick and you looked after me. I was in prison and you came to visit me.

Then the righteous will answer him, lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?

The King will reply, I tell you truly, whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."

Feeding the hungry, meeting physical needs, caring for strangers, the sick and imprisoned, even in the smallest ways, are not little things to Jesus.

And they shouldn't be little things to us either. That is the kind of person that we want to be, someone who sees these things, who responds to them for now and forever.

They matter in our personal actions, in what we give to and how we serve the less fortunate. Ask Jesus to remind you of that reality as you walk with him today and build yourself into being the disciple he wants you to be.

In closing for this Lenten Devotional, which is a special Hobo soul series that I'm doing for Lent, I'd encourage you to pause, take time to share with Jesus your response, thoughts and prayers to what you just heard. You can do this quietly in your heart, or you can write it out.

I have a free journal with the quotes, challenges and space for you to write in that you can download at www.bible805.com.

Let me close in prayer for you that as Jesus went into the wilderness to solidify his calling, that you, during this time, retreat to a place spiritually where God can significantly deepen your relationship with him, where he can speak to you regardless of the temptations and distractions in your life, and that you'll come out of it with a clear sense of his calling for you and a commitment to follow it. Nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. Amen.