When pursuing spiritual growth and personal development, many people miss some of the greatest opportunities for progress because they overlook the everyday choices they make. There are many reasons people do this:

• To some, these everyday choices don’t seem very significant at the time.
• Others defer, assuming there will be another chance to make a better choice later on.
• Many, simply don’t understand the potential such choices possess.
• Then there are those who are simply waiting for their big opportunity, a big problem to solve, a big project, or some other big moment, believing they will grow when that moment arises.

Whatever the reason for overlooking these moments, one thing is certain… doing so causes you to miss one of your best opportunities for big growth!

Why overlooking seemingly “insignificant” choices sabotages your growth

The problem is that waiting for the big moment causes us to become stagnant while we wait. It deceives us into believing we are biding time until our big moment arrives and it leaves us unprepared once it does. If you want to make real progress in your personal development, you need a fresh perspective. The truth is, most of your growth happens in the thousand little choices you make leading up to the big moment! Winston Churchill acknowledged this reality in his own life when he wrote this regarding the second world war:

“I felt as if I was walking with destiny, and that all my past life had been but a preparation for this hour and this trial.”

The Bible says we are being transformed “from glory to glory”.¹ Yet, the opportunities you have for growth often don’t appear glorious at all. Each day you face opportunities to make progress in your development. Do you recognize them for what they are? They live in the mundane, easy to overlook.

Those who respond correctly to the situations they face each day, will be ready when big opportunities or challenges arise.

Some “insignificant” opportunities for growth that are often overlooked:

• Justifying and excusing your behavior when you get offended. The book of Proverbs says it is to “one’s glory to overlook an offense”. ²
• Gossiping about another person, even if you’re “telling the truth” about what they did.
• Jumping at the chance to justify or defend yourself when you’ve been wronged by others.
• Putting your own needs and desires before the needs and desires of those around you.
• Serving and giving generously without telling others what you’ve done.
• Handling difficult or negative people with love rather than rejecting them.
• Celebrating the accomplishments of others instead of becoming jealous or competitive.

These daily choices are some of the best opportunities you have to become the best version of yourself… which means becoming more like Jesus.³

The Benefits Of Embracing The Importance Of Everyday Choices.

As humans, we are hard-wired to win. The idea of losing stings. Our efforts to “come out on top” in difficult situations, causes us to miss out on the “glory to glory” transformation God wants to do in our life.

If you want to become the best version of yourself, the one God created you to be, then you must be willing to look like the loser at times. Only then will you discover you have won.

Because, when you humble yourself, you receive more grace! ⁴ You will experience more of God’s presence because you are obeying Him. ⁵ You will receive a greater capacity to fulfill your God-given destiny because He knows you have His interest at heart, not your own.

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Don’t despise the small things. God uses the “seemingly insignificant” choices you face each day to produce big growth in you.

Have you repeatedly found yourself facing a similar situation? If so, this is your big opportunity for growth, so don’t dismiss it as inconsequential!

Remember, you are on the clock! This is not a dress rehearsal. Making progress in your life happens when you approach everyday choices as opportunities to grow and glorify God!

I’d love to hear from you. What are some everyday choices you need to stop overlooking in order to promote big growth in your life? Leave a comment and let me know!

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Footnotes:

1. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 ↩
2. Proverbs 19:11 ↩
3. Ephesians 4:13; 2 Corinthians 3:18 ↩
4. James 4:6 ↩
5. John 14:23-24 ↩