One Step In The Right Direction

All it takes is one step.

C.S. Lewis once wrote:

“Good and evil both increase at compound interest. That is why the little decisions you and I make every day are of such infinite importance. The smallest good act today is the capture of a strategic point from which, a few months later, you may be able to go on to victories you never dreamed of.”

Lewis captures why today matters so much. No matter how far down the wrong path you’ve wandered—whether in destructive habits, patterns of sin, or ways you’ve offended the Lord—your actions today can be the first sign that you’re moving toward a better way of living.

But if Scripture says we are saved by faith and not by works (Ephesians 2:8–9), why do our actions matter? Because our actions are the evidence of a changed heart. To truly know Jesus is to be transformed (Mark 9). And if you’ve been made new, you will act new.

The trouble is, we get used to doing things—both good and bad. What once felt wrong can grow familiar and stop pricking the conscience. We numb ourselves to avoid the pain of facing our problems. Yet the paradox is that peace only comes by walking through that pain and placing it into the hands of the One who can bear it. And just as we can form habits of sin, we can form habits of surrender. Turning to Christ can become the norm, and with it, a new pattern of action. Even the smallest momentum can lead to lasting change.

Following Jesus is a relationship, like the one you have with a spouse, a close friend, or a child. It needs tending. You can’t claim closeness to someone you consistently ignore, only call when you’re desperate, and disregard in daily life.

If you’ve drifted and aren’t sure how to start again, take one action—any action—that moves you toward Him. Remember that your body, mind, and spirit are connected. Sometimes engaging the body through good works can spark the mind and awaken the spirit. Do the thing you know you should do, and see how your heart follows. As Lewis said, it might be the “capture of a strategic point” that changes the course of your life months from now.

One step in the right direction may feel small, but it could be the start of something momentous.