This is no secret I’m revealing for the first time. I’ve told this story since I received Jesus as my Lord and Savior in March of 1977. I was 24 years old. In my free time, I used drugs. When I wasn’t working, I drank to get drunk. My goal was to “go for the gusto.” Some of you may remember that phrase. Yet when I was alone and sober, I often found myself thinking, There has to be a God. Then a wonderful person who took a liking to me led me to the Lord, and I received Jesus into my heart. My life began to change.
Here’s something that might surprise you: I had always been responsible at work. My bosses liked and appreciated me. But they didn’t know how I lived when I was off the clock. I had a good work ethic, which I can only look back on as the grace of God and the result of a good upbringing. In my personal life, I showed little restraint and made terrible daily decisions about my eating habits, drinking, and drug use.
After receiving Jesus, I left alcohol and drugs behind, but I still had eating habits to confront. I woke up thinking about donuts every morning. I couldn’t think straight until I had eaten at least three of them! If I hadn’t kept up a good running routine, I believe my eating habits would have taken a serious toll on my weight.
Being dependable at work had not automatically made me a good manager of my own life. I was still making poor personal decisions. But as I attended church, read my Bible, and prayed daily, I began to see that following Jesus meant changing the way I thought and the choices I made. I asked God to help me, and by His grace, He did. Little by little, I made better decisions and developed new habits. Those daily choices helped shape the new life I was living in Christ.
Proverbs 16:32 (NLT) says, “Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city.” Think about how someone earns a managerial position. An employer doesn’t give a person greater responsibility simply because they want it. They watch how that person handles the responsibilities they already have. Do they show good judgment? Do they think through the consequences of their choices? Can they be trusted to make a sound decision when no one is standing beside them?
I believe we need to ask those same questions about ourselves. We may be responsible and disciplined in one area while making careless decisions in another. That was certainly true of me. I could be counted on at work, yet I wasn’t making good choices for my own life. I had to admit that before I could begin to change.
Consider an ordinary morning. You get up early, grab a cup of coffee, and hurry off to an appointment. By the time it’s over, you’re hungry. Your first thought is the donut shop. Then you think about stopping for another coffee and a treat. Every option coming to mind is quick and appealing, but you haven’t stopped to think about what would be good for you. There is nothing wrong with enjoying a donut now and then. But suppose you’ve decided that your eating habits need to change, and every time you’re hungry and rushed, you abandon that decision. At that point, you need to recognize what’s happening: your appetite is making the decision for you. You aren’t yet managing that part of your life as wisely as you want to.
So what do you do? You put a plan in place before the hungry moment comes. You might eat before you leave home, bring something with you, or decide where you’ll stop for lunch. For a while, you may need a rule that you won’t make an unplanned food stop when you’re hungry. That rule gives you room to practice the restraint you’re still learning.
Proverbs 25:28 (NLT) says, “A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls.” A city wall offered protection. In the same way, a wise personal boundary can protect a decision you made with prayer and a clear mind. If spending is a struggle, you might decide to delay unplanned purchases. You'd be amazed at how many things you don't go back and buy. If you tend to speak harshly when you’re upset, you might decide to pause and pray before responding. If your mornings keep slipping away, you might set a time to get up and begin what matters most.
Those boundaries are not a declaration that you will never grow. They are a way to help you grow. As your thinking changes and your self-control strengthens, you begin making wise choices more consistently. You prove faithful with the responsibility you have today.
And when you make a poor decision, don’t give up. Be honest with God about it. Ask yourself what led to that choice and what you can do differently next time. Then pray and keep going. I didn’t change every habit the day I received Jesus. As I stayed in His Word, attended church, and prayed, God helped me change little by little. He can help you, too.
Jesus taught that faithfulness in small things matters. The choices we make when we are hungry, tired, tempted, or under pressure may seem small, but they shape the way we live. With God’s help, we can learn to make those decisions wisely.
“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones.” Luke 16:10 (NLT)
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for receiving me as I was and patiently helping me grow. Show me where my choices need to change. Help me think ahead, set wise boundaries, and follow through when the moment comes. By Your grace, teach me to be faithful in the little things each day. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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