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JANUARY 9
SMALL STEPS
“Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of
heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
(Mt 7: 21)
These words are uncomfortably straightforward. They immediately
remind me that I fall short of Christ’s call. And yet I know that these
words are loving, because they are said by Christ. These are not the
unreasonable demands of a tyrant. That’s the way it is with the word of
God: It is both a difficult and gentle truth.
Because I know this truth is given with love, I also implement it with love,
with a proper love of myself, in small steps. Not like an unreasonable
tyrant. Today I can make small adjustments to my schedule, to avoid a
sinful routine. I can be a little more present for other people, and listen
before I speak. I can face my responsibilities as best I can (say, reply to
that unpleasant email, or tend to at least one or two of those unopened
envelopes piled up on my desk). I can seek to give encouragement and
praise, when necessary, rather than seek it for myself. I can be grateful
for the small kindnesses of others, and for God’s loving grace in my life.
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