Small Things Make a Big Difference in Your Children’s Lives

One of the many advantages of homeschooling is the opportunity to teach our children things that truly matter in life like the power of small things. To paraphrase Luke 19:17, “If we are faithful over little, God will make us faithful over much.” While many people live for their Mount of Transfiguration moments in relationships, job advancements, financial blessings, personal growth or physical health, there is no substitute for steady plodding.

So many of the world’s systems and perspectives run completely counter to the Word of God. The lottery promises millions of dollars to the one winner at the expense of millions of losers. God says, “Wealth from gambling quickly disappears.” (Proverbs 13:11 TLB) The education system rewards cramming for a test but disincentivizes learning on a consistent, daily basis. The wisest king once wrote, “Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors.” (Proverbs 8:34 ESV) We read of teenagers making videos in their bedrooms, making tens of thousands of dollars almost overnight. God says, “Quick wealth is not a blessing in the end.” (Proverbs 20:21 TLB) Additionally, when things come too quickly and too easily, they often depart on the same timetable.

There is no substitute for our children learning to do the little things right and to do them right consistently. Admiral William McRaven’s commencement address in 2014 at the University of Texas has had over 30 million combined YouTube hits. One of his best-known lines from this speech is, “If you want to change the world, start out by making your bed.” He added, “If you cannot do the little things well, you can never do the big things.”

Homeschooling is simply not about teaching the 3 R’s; it is about teaching something much more important … how to do life. The glorious news is this is something each parent can do as they spend the day with their children. We can teach them the importance of making their bed, picking up a piece of paper on the floor or quickly grabbing someone else’s glass that was left on the steps. Instructing our child to pick up a paper towel after a wayward shot at the trashcan is every bit as essential as knowing how to divide or multiply.

This month we are concentrating on being faithful over little things. There are countless self-improvement books that will give you strategies to do this in your own lives and in the lives of your children. These are wonderful tools. As Christians, however, we know the greatest way to employ new habits is by first seeking the grace of God to take out our heart of stone—which includes laziness, sensuality, and selfishness—and replacing it with a heart of flesh—which includes self-motivation, sacrifice and putting others before self.

If you want to see a difference in your home, try praying for the homes of others throughout the month of January. For those who can and are willing, please join the ICHE family as we will be fasting on the second Tuesday (or a day that works better.) We are crying out for the Father to send His Holy Spirit into our homes, our lives and our children’s lives to embrace the important of small things.

1. Pray that we parents will first see the power in small things and secondly, search our own heart to see if we are faithful in doing the small things before us every day with a right attitude.
   • It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, ³² yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.” –Mark 4:31 (ESV)
   • Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting. –Psalms 139:23,24 (NKJV)
   • you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? –Romans 2:21 (ESV)
     
2. Pray that God will help us parents recognize teachable moments to demonstrate to our children the power in doing small things that they may embrace this action at a young age.
   • Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path –Psalms 27:11 (ESV)
   • Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” –Ex. 4:12 (ESV)
   • Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. –Eph. 5 :16 (KJV) [make most of the opportunities before us]
     
3. Pray that we will resist the world’s ways of cramming for temporal, social rewards but will have a long-term vision of teaching for knowledge and wisdom.
   • Steady plodding brings prosperity; hasty speculation brings poverty. –Proverbs 21:5 (TLB)
   • “Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors.” (Proverbs 8:34 ESV)
     
4. Pray that God will give each home a strategy and plan to manage the small things of minutes, so our hours and days will be wisely used.
   • And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. –Luke 19:17 (KJV)
     
5. Pray that God will ordain positive influences in the lives of our children—friendships, books, social media—that will challenge them to rise up to do the small things well.
   • Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” –1 Cor. 15:33 (ESV)
   • The good influence of godly citizens causes a city to prosper, but the moral decay of the wicked drives it downhill. –Proverbs 11:11 (TLB)
     
6. Pray that we will never minimize the smallest efforts at change or improvement in our lives or the lives of our children.
   • Do not despise this small beginning, for the eyes of the Lord rejoice to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. –Zech. 4:10 (TLB)
     
7. Pray that parents and children alike will develop an eye for small details.
   • Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, … –2 Kings 6:17 (ESV)
   • But there was found in it a poor, wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. –Ecc. 9:15 (ESV) [to see things others can’t see]
     
8. Pray that parents and children will get victory over the small things that will lead to greater personal victories.
   • Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. –Proverbs 4:23 (ESV)
   • Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. –Phil. 4:8 (ESV)
   • So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! –James 3:5 (ESV)
     
9. Pray that we will understand how small things left undone can do significant damage in life and communicate that reality in a meaningful way to our children.
   • Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes. –Song of Solomon 2:15 (KJV)
   • Dead flies will cause even a bottle of perfume to stink! Yes, a small mistake can outweigh much wisdom and honor.–Ecc. 10:1 (TLB)
   • Then, as I looked, I learned this lesson: “A little extra sleep, A little more slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest” –Proverbs 24:32, 33 (TLB)
   • The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly. –Proverbs 15:2 (ESV)
     
10. Pray that God would reveal to us small things that we can do now that will have a big impact on our family 10 years from now.
    • “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. –Deut. 29:29
    • And if you will indeed obey my commandments that I command you today, to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,¹⁴ he will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain, that you may gather in your grain and your wine and your oil. –Deut. 11:13,14 (ESV)