Celebrating The Little Victories
“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18
In I Samuel 14, King Saul placed his army under oath, saying, “Cursed is the man who eats any food until the evening before I have taken vengeance on my enemies.” This was despite the fact that King Saul’s men had gained the upper hand in battle, and the Philistines had already begun running away. The men had been battling all day, and because King Saul wouldn’t let them eat, they were weary and faint. But his son, Jonathan, had not heard the command and ate some honey. The Bible says after eating it, “he felt much better.” When one of the men saw him, they told him about his father’s orders. Jonathon replied, “My Father has made trouble for us all! A command like that only hurts us. See how much better I feel now that I have eaten this little bit of honey. If the men had been allowed to eat freely from the food they found among our enemies, think how many more we could have killed!”
There is a lesson in this story that we can all learn. Many people take on King Saul's attitude, saying, “Until my victory is complete and everything is how I want it, I can’t celebrate.” You may downgrade the little victories because they are not major wins, but that is not how God wants you to live. Many people don’t ever get excited over the good things in their lives because they are waiting for the bigger thing to happen that they have been praying for. But you have to learn to get excited over the partial and the small victories.
Your friend may not have gotten saved yet, but they came to church with you on Sunday. You may have fallen off the wagon, but at least you are on it. You may not be completely healed from your sickness, but you are able to do things you weren’t able to do yesterday. Praise God for the small wins. You need a Jonathon spirit that says, “I’m going to taste the honey and have a little celebration because God has been good to me today!” Praise Him for the little changes you have seen in your life. Praise Him for the little phone call, the small open door, and the new opportunity that came your way. If you praise Him while it’s little, you will see it get bigger!
When God created the world, He stopped and celebrated each time a small conquest was completed. He made the oceans and then said, “It is good.” He made the animals, rested, and said, “It is good.” He could have made the world all at once, but He showed us an example of how to learn to stop and smell the roses. Don’t ignore the small blessings God has given you while waiting for the big ones. Throw a party every day and thank God for every single blessing. Luke 15 tells us that a party is thrown in Heaven when one sinner repents. Even though “God so loved the world” and His vision is for the whole world to know Him, He still stops and celebrates when one person is won!
Share
