Small acts of Faith

By Stephanie Parker

Sometimes I think God acts a bit like Mr. Miyagi from the movie ‘The Karate Kid.’ In the movie, Daniel wants Miyagi to teach him Karate, but instead, Miyagi gets him to do a list of chores. Miyagi instructs him to “wax on, wax off,” sand the floor and paint the fence. Daniel thinks he is being asked to do these things simply to earn the right to learn from Miyagi. Instead, all the while, Miyagi is teaching him Karate without him even realizing it.

God works that way with us sometimes. God gives us little tasks, little callings, and if we are obedient in the smaller things, they become the stepping stones to a much greater purpose for our lives. Luke 16:10 says, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.” We have to learn to discern and obey God in the little things so that we can live our lives filled with His perfect purpose.
Most people are familiar with the verse Jeremiah 29: 11, where it says, ‘“For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” I don’t think there’s one Christian who doesn’t hope to live a life of purpose. The problem is, many Christians aren’t willing to “wax on, wax off” to get there.

In the verses following Jeremiah 29:11, God gives the “wax on, wax off” instructions… the key to unlocking His plans and purpose for us. Most people don’t even read the verses that follow this well known and overly quoted verse. In verses 12-14 it says, “You will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Seeking God with all of your heart is the key to unlocking His purpose for you. It means being obedient when God asks you to paint the fence and sand the floor, so to speak. It means having intentional resolve to obey and seek Him in the everyday ordinary so that you can live out His extraordinary purpose for you.

One scene in “The Karate Kid” shows Mr. Miyagi doing this very cool Karate pose called the crane. Daniel asks Miyagi to teach it to him but Miyagi simply tells him, “first learn stand, then learn fly.”

Have you ever wondered if there might be more… if God made you for more of a purpose than how you are living right now? Scripture is clear that He is able to do immeasurably more than all you could ever ask or imagine through Christ who lives in and through you (Ephesians 3:20-21). But you must be willing to walk before you fly.

“Sometimes the biggest move of God is wrapped up in the smallest acts of obedience.” – Priscilla Shirer
So what are you going to do today to show God you are willing to “wax on, wax off” for Him? It might be as simple as spending time with Him and in His Word instead of scrolling through Facebook, or choosing to respond in love and forgiveness to someone you feel deserves it the least. Maybe it’s choosing to pray or worship while you fold your laundry, instead of watching TV. It might seem insignificant, but if you choose to walk with Him today, before you know it, you will be flying!

“For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” –Ephesians 2:10

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Stephanie Parker has three main loves: God, her husband, Brett and her kids!  When Stephanie created the Zipadee-Zip in an effort to solve her daughter, Charlotte's, sleep issues, she never imagined that it would become a business.  She is incredibly grateful to God for how Sleepingbaby.com has grown and how it has enabled other families to get the restful sleep they need.   Stephanie's husband, Brett Parker assumed the role of CEO which has allowed Stephanie to focus on what she loves which is the creative side of the company, like product and print development.  After the Zipadee-Zip was featured on Shark Tank, Stephanie went on to create the book Shepherd's Treasure, a Christian alternative to Elf on the Shelf. In her free time, Stephanie loves to spend time with her family and friends.  Her hobbies include acting, singing, painting, learning and speaking foreign languages and going on adventures with her family!  You will find her all summer waterskiing, fishing and laughing with her family on the weekends.