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10 Ways to Take an Easy Step Toward God

Have you ever faced a seemingly insurmountable task? …something that just felt impossible? Maybe it was something that was going to require a considerable amount of time and energy, and simply thinking about the enormity of the job ahead stopped you from getting started. Sometimes thinking about the perceived size of a looming task or a goal that feels out of reach actually paralyzes you. It feels like such a big thing to accomplish, and that makes it almost seem like it can’t be done. The mere thought of embarking on a mission that will perhaps be difficult, time consuming, and effort-consuming can keep you from taking that first step and just beginning. 

This is a silly example, but I love to read, and a few years ago, I noticed that I hadn’t been reading much at all. Like, at all! Except for when I was on summer break from school. Of course, that hadn’t stopped me from buying books… Because a book lover can always rationalize purchasing books to add to her to-be-read pile, right? So I had plenty of books sitting around at home, and I really wanted to read them, but my daily routine was not making time or space for that. You may relate to the feeling of getting home from work, doing whatever needs to be done around the house, and then just wanting to sit on the couch and watch a little mindless TV before going to bed. If you have kids, add everything that comes along with caring for them into the mix! Your time and effort can get drained from so many different activities and tasks during the day that when you do have some down time, you just want to do something that doesn’t require much thinking at all. For me, that’s mindless TV or scrolling through social media on my phone.

Mind you, I was itching to get back into a good reading routine, but I hadn’t had that firmly in place for so long that the mere thought of it felt daunting. I had piles and stacks of books sitting around, but the likelihood of getting through all of them felt impossible. Finally, I decided that I didn’t need to read an entire book every week night, and I didn’t need to reserve the entire afternoon every Saturday just to get myself back into a good reading habit. All I needed to do was pick out one book and read one chapter each night before going to bed. Even though that would mean reading through the books I wanted to conquer at a slow speed, it would be faster than the pace I’d been going—which was nonexistent. By reading only one chapter a day, I could probably at least finish one book a month, maybe two. Little by little, I could inch my way back into a regular reading habit, which I knew would fill my heart and mind with satisfaction and joy. 

Maybe you’ve also faced an uphill climb that felt impossible, and maybe it was with something much heavier than my quest to become a regular reader again. Perhaps it involved ending an addiction, restoring a heavily damaged relationship or pulling yourself out of depression. Or have you ever gone through a season where you’ve drifted so far away from Jesus that it just felt unimaginable that you could actually reenter an intimate relationship with Him again? Maybe you’ve never had a personal relationship with the Lord at all, and figuring out how to step toward that seems like too big of a journey to embark on. 

I can tell you one thing for sure. You won’t go from being far from God to being intimately close to Him in an instant. I didn’t go from reading nothing to reading an entire book every day; I chipped away little by little. Just a chapter a day! And you can do the same thing as you inch toward intimacy with the Almighty. Here are a few ideas for a first step that might be the right one for you: 

  1. Go to church one time.
  2. Resolve to read just one chapter of the Bible each day. Maybe read one psalm a day!
  3. Pray one prewritten prayer when you wake up each morning. You could write it yourself, or just pray the Lord’s Prayer from Matthew 6:9-13.
  4. Put one Bible verse on a post-it note in a strategic location where you’ll see and read it throughout the day. Not sure what verse to use? Try Romans 15:13. 
  5. Ask one person to pray for you on your journey toward a closer relationship with God.
  6. Send one email to a pastor or a mature Christian you know who might be able to provide mentoring and guidance in the next steps of your faith journey.
  7. Listen to one podcast episode that could convince and encourage you. Too overwhelmed by the endless options? Try “Made for This With Jennie Allen.”
  8. Take one walk outside and talk to God while you do it. (And then listen for His voice!)
  9. Grab a notebook, and write one sentence a day to God. Ask a question, share a doubt, list a struggle, state a dream/wish/desire, or just write whatever comes to mind.
  10. Find one Christian song to listen to each day, even if it’s the same one every day for a while. No idea where to start? Check out “Graves Into Gardens,” by Elevation Worship.

Going from NO relationship with God to a CLOSE relationship with Him overnight most likely won’t happen. But you’re never too far from God to start inching closer toward Him. Decide on one little step to take! And then watch and see what He does. I’m willing to guess that He’ll see your one step and not just match it, but He’ll multiply that step of faith. Don’t be afraid to start small. You’ve got to start somewhere!

Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin. -Zechariah 4:10a