#DisciplineAndGrace

The Power of the Ordinary

~ authorlasharnda ~ Leave a comment

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”
— Colossians 3:23

Have you ever noticed how much attention we give to the big moments in life? We celebrate promotions, graduations, ribbon cuttings, awards, anniversaries, and milestones. And we should; those moments represent hard work and meaningful accomplishments.

But here’s what I’ve been thinking about lately. Those milestone moments don’t just happen. They’re built on thousands of ordinary moments that most people never see. They’re built on early mornings, late nights, difficult conversations, quiet decisions, and the discipline to keep going when no one is applauding.

I’ve come to believe that our lives are shaped far more by what we do consistently than by what we do occasionally. That’s why Colossians 3:23 resonates so deeply with me. It reminds us that whatever we do, whether anyone notices or not, we should give it our very best. Not because we’re chasing recognition, but because excellence is a reflection of who we are and whose we are. Seriously!

I take pride in knowing that I give my all to whatever I pursue. If I am going to say I value exercise, I set time to do it. If I say I value my job, I am going to not only show up each day, but I am going to give it my all. When I say I value God and I am dedicated to Him and to my faith, I ensure I build in to each day spiritual disciplines of prayer and Bible reading. Our actions truly tell others (and ourselves) what our priorities are.

The truth is, character is built in the ordinary. Integrity is revealed in the decisions no one else sees. Trust is earned through consistency. Leadership is developed one conversation, one choice, and one relationship at a time.

Whether you’re leading an organization, raising a family, serving your community, building a business, or simply trying to become a better version of yourself, never underestimate the significance of showing up every day with purpose.

Maybe that’s the lesson for all of us. Instead of waiting for the next big opportunity, what if we embraced today’s opportunity? What if we approached every meeting, every conversation, every challenge, and every act of service as something that truly matters? Because it does. The future isn’t built in one defining moment. It’s built one faithful step at a time.

So wherever life finds you today, give your best to what’s in front of you. Finish the task. Extend grace. Show up with purpose. You may never know how one ordinary moment becomes the turning point in someone else’s life; or even your own.

After all, extraordinary lives are rarely built on extraordinary days. They’re built on ordinary days lived with extraordinary faithfulness.

Stewardship: A Posture of the Heart

~ authorlasharnda ~ Leave a comment

Recently, my church has been on a series titled “Once Upon a Time.” We’ve been studying the parable of the shrewd servant in Luke 16. I won’t go into all the details of what we’ve covered, but it has made me think deeply about what God’s Word says about stewardship.

So often we connect stewardship only with money, but Scripture paints a much bigger picture. Stewardship is about how we handle everything God has placed in our care; our time, our talents, our resources, and even our relationships.

Peter wrote these words: “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10). That tells me that what I’ve been given, and what you’ve been given, was never meant to stop with us. It was meant to flow through us, to serve others and reflect God’s grace. One comment my pastor made really stayed with me: “I am not a CEO, I am a shepherd.” That’s the heart of stewardship; seeing ourselves as caretakers, not owners.

Jesus also reminded us of this responsibility in Luke 12:48: “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded.” It’s not a warning to frighten us, but an invitation to take seriously the opportunities God has placed in our hands. Whether we’ve been given little or much, God calls us to be faithful managers of it.

For many of us, stewardship shows up most clearly in how we handle our finances. It’s easy to feel pressure to keep up appearances, and before we know it, we can find ourselves in debt. If you’re carrying that burden, I want to encourage you: don’t try to fix it overnight. It wasn’t created overnight, and it won’t be solved that quickly either. Getting out of debt takes discipline and a steady heart. And it takes the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who gives us strength to stay the course when it feels hard.

Stewardship isn’t just about money, but how we manage our finances often shows the posture of our hearts. When we live within our means, when we give generously, and when we manage resources wisely, we show God that we trust Him to provide.

At the end of the day, stewardship is not just an action. And when we approach life this way, we discover that nothing entrusted to us is too small for God to use in extraordinary ways.