A thousand small steps

Much of what I write is "big rock" thinking. Have you heard the illustration of the jar with rocks, pebbles, and sand? If you fill it with sand first, the big rocks will not fit in. Add the bigger things first, and the small things will fall around it. It is good to take a little time to consider the big picture. I hope reading this gives you time to stop and think.

Good character is the result of a thousand decisions. When you watch the Olympics, you are seeing the outcome of hours and hours of dedication. It is a lot of work, a lot of resolve, some pain, some mundane and boredom. Athletes stick with it because they are looking towards a prize. Many of them come close but don't achieve the highest accolades, but they still deem the prize worthy of the attempt.

Do you value good character? Strive for good decisions in all the little things you do. Choose to be kind to your family. Avoid habits like gossip and complaining. Think about truthful and good things. In private, make choices that would withstand any scrutiny, even if there is no way anyone will ever know what you are doing (or thinking). A small mistake will not derail your pursuit of character, but achieving hundreds of small steps will build in you something astonishing.

When God is in the equation, you are guaranteed to achieve the prize if you persist. Kerri Scrugs and Gabby Douglas did not know what the outcome would be when they set their sites on the Olympics. But when you make character a goal, the Lord promises that you will achieve it. Your character will not shine, however, until you have persisted in small, often hidden, choices.