The Courage to Show Up
I have a friend who runs a successful manufacturing company. Years ago he mentioned to me something that he has on the wall of his office, what he calls “referability habits.” If they do these things well, he knows it will lead to new customers. They are four things:
- Show up on time.
- Do what you say.
- Finish what you start.
- Say thank you.
The brilliance in these four things is their simplicity. None are complex or hard, in fact, they are rather unremarkable. But we live in a world where many struggle to do any one of these four, let alone combine them and make them the norm. So when his company does all four on a regular basis, it really stands out and it often leads to new customers by referral.
Luke 16:10 says, “He who is faithful in a very little thing is also faithful in much” (NASB). There’s something about just doing the simple, the small, the little thing, and doing it well that makes a big difference over time. The enemy wants us to think the little things don’t matter. He wants us to think the little sins don’t really matter, and the little wins aren’t really worth it. But they do matter! In fact, these small choices are the fundamental fabric of life. The thin fibers you weave together throughout the day create a tapestry of your choice.
Some have said it another way, that half the battle is just showing up. Sunday I called us to take a stand and commit to being in God’s Word every day in the month of March. At the bare minimum, commit to following the church Bible reading plan, which is about a chapter a day, and praying for 5 minutes a day. Find an accountability partner, and check in with them every day. Also TRACK both of these things. Pull out a sheet of notebook paper and track each of these each day in March. You’ll be amazed how you attend to the things you track and talk with others about.
Our March memory verse will be of great help to show up for this commitment. Joshua 1:9 says, “Be strong and courageous… for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Though this commitment doesn’t take much time, it still takes courage to be in God’s Word in a world that would rather you didn’t, it takes courage to show up!
I believe that if we all ‘show up’ and get in God’s Word every day in March, we’ll see God do mighty things in our lives, in our families, in our neighborhoods, and we will see Him at work all over the South End of Louisville.