Baby Steps

As the new year begins, many of us set resolutions with the best intentions. We want to read our Bibles more, pray more consistently, be healthier, kinder, more patient. We promise ourselves we won’t lose our temper so quickly or fall back into gossip. But somewhere along the way, we slip. We snap at someone we love. We say something we shouldn’t. And suddenly, that familiar voice creeps in: “Well, I’ve already blown it.” So we quit altogether.

That’s the trap of an all-or-nothing mindset. We believe faithfulness only counts if it’s flawless.

Bob Goff shares a beautiful picture in his book “Catching Whimsy” that challenges this thinking. He says, “When my grandson took his first step, I didn’t see him trying and say, ‘I’ve seen better.’ Of course not. It was his first step, I delighted in it.” No parent watches a toddler stumble and decides the journey isn’t worth celebrating. Every step matters—especially the small ones.

God sees us the same way. When we choose patience once, even after failing ten times before… when we hold our tongue instead of gossiping, even if we don’t always get it right… God delights in that progress. Psalm 37:23 reminds us, “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.” Even the imperfect and wobbly steps.

So if you’ve already had a slip-up this year, don’t let it be the end of the story. Pick it back up. Apologize. Try again. Read one verse. Say one honest prayer. Choose obedience in one small moment.

This year doesn’t have to be all or nothing. It can be step by step—with a God who delights in us, and at every faithful move forward.

~ Amanda