Little by Little

2 Chronicles 26:5

“As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success.”

It’s officially fall which means I have been watching a lot of football. Many people say that watching football is boring because of the slow pace of the game compared to basketball or hockey, but in my opinion, the game is slow until something big happens like a touchdown or a big turnover. Each play builds upon each other until you see one team come out victorious. Little by little, the team gains positive momentum or negative momentum based on the decisions the players make on the field. Even if a team makes many good decisions all game, one big mistake can cost the team the victory.

Lately , we have been looking at various kings in Israel’s history. One that stood out to me was King Uzziah. The Bible says that for 52 years King Uzziah reigned, sought the Lord, and God brought all kinds of victory to his kingdom. However, one moment of pride cost him his legacy. The power got to his head and he decided to burn incense on the alter which was a job solely reserved for priests. Consequently, the Lord was angry and leprosy broke out on King Uzziah’s head. This caused him to live out his days isolated from the Israelite temple and he was known among the people as “the one who had leprosy.”

I read in a Billy Graham book one day that our reputation is like carrying a glass bowl. Each day you have to be careful not to drop it because one bad mistake can damage people’s trust in you and sometimes even ruin your legacy. John Maxwell calls this leadership principle, “The Law of Solid Ground.” King Uzziah had an amazing run as king but he didn’t finish the race well. Here is a couple lessons to consider from the life of King Uzziah..

1. Your legacy depends on the small good decisions and choices you make every day.
2. Seeking the Lord brings victory to our lives.
3. One large moral mistake can be the difference between being known as a great king and “the one who had leprosy”

Today, consider your legacy and reputation. God’s grace is big enough to cover all of the mistakes we made in the past, but that doesn’t mean that we should continue to make bad decisions. Decide that today is the day to make good decisions mentally, physically, spiritually, and relationally. Little by little, those decisions will add up and before you know it, you are an entirely different person that God can use to bring glory to Him and add value to all the people around you.