The Little Things are Important

(taken from a BYU Devotional address by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, Oct 26, 1986)

We are all blessed with the exact same number of minutes each day.  What we do with those minutes – how we spend them or manage them – can make a difference in our lives and the lives of others. 

We can bless ourselves if we use our minutes to take care of ourselves.  We can care for our bodies – through diet and exercise – which will give us the strength and energy we need to keep up with our daily routines as well as being able to serve others.  When we feel healthy, our spirits are stronger and we have an increased positive outlook on life, feeling better able to succeed.

When we have our lives in somewhat of an order, we are better prepared to serve others.  Little things such as simple courtesies – a smile, a compliment, a positive comment, or word of encouragement – can brighten someone else’s life.  Such a small act on our part - hardly takes any effort - yet can make a world of difference to another person. 

When we learn to be patient and longsuffering, we can better deal with others whether through work, school, church, or in our community.  These are two traits that I can definitely improve on.  Perhaps taking time to study them and see how Christ emulated these traits would better help me to acquire them. 

When we serve others, we are truly serving God (Mosiah 2:17).  “When we are engaged in the service of our fellowmen, not only do our deeds assist them, but we put our own problems in a fresher perspective.  When we think more about others, there is less time to be concerned with ourselves…God does notice us, and He watches over us.  But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs.  Therefore, it is vital that we serve each other in the kingdom.”  (President Spencer W. Kimball, as quoted by Elder Wirthlin)  Have I noticed someone in need?  Have I used my allotment of minutes to help someone in need? 

We all have potential.  God blessed us with the skills and talents we needed to succeed.  While some of those skills may seem little or small, through Christ, we can make those into strengths.  As we develop those strengths, we will have less of a desire to do wrong.  It will cause us to “pray more intently…be a little forgiving of our neighbor’s faults…love more and criticize less.”  We need to do all we can to make these spiritual qualities part of us. 

Every day we are blessed with little opportunities to overcome our weaknesses and “increase our spiritual strength”.  Things that seem little truly can become big things that can strengthen us and help us to become the person we are capable of becoming.  What will we do with the minutes we have been blessed with today?