All the Small Things: Faith, Focus, and the Power of Little Choices

Back in the fall of 1999, my college cross-country team must have played Blink-182’s newly released album—almost in its entirety—at least a hundred times while traveling to and from our races. Their song All the Small Things was a fixture on my pump-up mix, and I listened to it constantly. When preparing to run the 10K, which consisted of 25 laps around the track, I’d break the race down into smaller pieces and set a specific goal pace for each of the 50 individual 200-meter splits. As is true in any worthy endeavor we undertake: the small things matter.

I was reminded of this last night as I discussed the final verses of Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount with a group of Yale Athletes in Action (AIA), “a student-led sports ministry dedicated to building a community of fellowship founded in the loving character of Jesus Christ.”

As Jesus reaches the end of this three-chapter discourse, in which He, like Moses, lays out both the demands and the spirit of the Law, He sums it up with the command: “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you, for this is the law and the prophets” (Matt. 7:12). If we are listening to all that Jesus has been saying—if we are following Him closely and seeking to embody and reveal the loving character of Christ at work within us—we realize that this command, along with others like “love your neighbor as yourself” and “love one another as I have loved you,” requires focus, sustained commitment over time, and a lot of grace.

The small things matter. This is what Jesus is emphasizing when, just after the Beatitudes, He says:

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets... Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law until all these things have taken place” (Matt. 5:17-18).

Again and again, Jesus highlights how small things have a great impact:

• You are the salt of the earth. (A pinch of salt goes a long way to bring out flavor.)

• You are the light of the world. (Just a tiny spark scatters the darkness.)

• You have heard that it was said, “You shall not kill.” But I say to you, whoever is angry will be liable to judgment. Whoever says, “You fool,” will be liable to fiery Gehenna. (Harsh words can cause severe harm.)

At the root of great good—or grave evil—are small things: a look, a touch, a thought, a word, a choice.

So, let’s think about the small things today. Are our thoughts, words, and actions revealing the loving character of Christ—or someone else? As we reach the midpoint of our Lenten journey, in our prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, let’s strive to be faithful in the small things.

For, as Blink-182’s song reminds us, “All the small things, true care, truth brings.”