It’s easy to feel as if we are stuck in our lives. We have a burning desire to follow Jesus with all of our heart, but we keep getting tripped up along the way. Progress is hard to come by when you constantly take two steps back for every one you take forward. In other words, we have our moments but no momentum. As discouragement sets in, it blinds us to the opportunities that surround us every day. Instead of focusing on our failures, we need to recognize the times in our life when we are walking in step with Christ and learn to turn those moments into momentum for tomorrow.
What creates these moments in our lives? In a word, it is obedience. As we obey the commands of Christ and reflect His love on the world around us, we create moments where we are in tune with His Spirit; we are singing His song. The Bible says in Zephaniah 3:17 that the Lord sings over us in our delight. When we are in tune with Him, our lives produce a beautiful harmony that resonates to all those around us. These are the beautiful moments that we must capture and on which we must build. Learn to revel but not linger here. Sear the feelings into your memory so that when you become discouraged you can look back and remember them. Then, as you move on, look for the next opportunity to obey God and be His hands and feet to a desperate world. Our obedience creates momentum from our moments.
Many of the encounters throughout our day seem so utterly bland and boring. How could God be in something as simple as passing someone in a hallway or checking out at the grocery store? It is important to remember that it is the moments that seem insignificant that lead to the moments of most significance. The person you pass in the hallway may be desperate, convinced that no one cares or even notices them. Your simple smile could speak volumes into their life. Your friendly, “hello”, may be the springboard to a whole new beginning for them; and all you did was obey Christ. The person in line behind you at the grocery store might be struggling financially, wondering whether to buy diapers for the baby or food for their toddler. Being aware of the moment and deciding to pay for their order would be a beautiful demonstration of the love of Jesus. Who knows how significant the ordinary might become when you simply obey the commands of God and live your life in a manner that looks like Jesus.
Our everyday moments are opportunities for momentum. Don’t be consumed by looking at the whole of your life and convince yourself that you’ll never be able to follow Christ. Instead, focus on the moment in which you find yourself. Serve Him in that, right now. Then, do it again in the next. As we string the moments together we will find that we are building divine momentum. We will hear the song of our Savior and begin to sing along. Life is a long song, meant to be sung in harmony with God. You can learn to sing with Him by seizing each moment, and creating momentum for service. Your first moment is beginning right now.