In 2026, Steward the Small Stuff
Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash
January is a great month for those of us who like to think strategically. If your Strengths Finder puts you high on the Futuristic and Strategic scale, this is your month. As leaders, we can see January as a clean canvas upon which we can paint our big dreams, sketch out bold plans, and create a narrative for our ministry where we are bigger and more effective in carrying out our mission by December 2026.
The temptation and danger in all of this big scale thinking and envisioning is that we develop plans that focus on quantum leaps. If our action plans are as big and bold as our dreams, we will too often stretch our capacity to execute beyond its limits. In a few weeks we see our plans fledgling and our team stressed. We get caught in the trap of believing we need to do things big and fast if we are to affect the change needed to realize big goals.
In place of the big and fast, I suggest we pay attention to the ‘Law of the Small’. This law states that tiny, consistent actions (1% better each day) compound over time into massive results, while tiny negative actions (1% worse each day) compound into serious decline. I realize this focus on the small presents a problem for us from the start. As leaders, we seldom get accolades for accomplishing small things. It’s hard to inspire others with gradual processes or mobilize donors to support incremental steps. Yet it just might be our failure to steward the small things that will undermine our ability to accomplish our big visions.
This ‘Law of the Small’ mirrors the biblical principle that great things come from small, faithful actions done over time, often hidden and unnoticed at first. A daily quiet time, a small act of service, a faithful “yes” to a small assignment can, over years, produce a life of deep wisdom, influence, and fruit. Consistency creates a positive spiral. When we are faithful in small things (prayer, Scripture, kindness, honesty), God blesses us with small daily miracles (peace, guidance, open doors) that build into marvelous works over time.
This concept is also laid out in Circular Cumulative Causation theory from economics which states that a change in one variable (e.g., income, education, or trust) causes changes in related variables, which then feeds back and reinforces the original change, creating a cycle that grows stronger over time. Think of this circle in personal, organizational, and spiritual terms.
In our personal development, a small habit (daily reading, exercise, prayer) → small gains in knowledge, health, or peace → greater motivation and discipline → even more growth, creating a virtuous circle. Conversely, neglecting health or relationships can start a vicious circle of decline.
In our organization, a small increase in trust or cooperation in a community → more collaboration → stronger unity → even greater trust, in a cumulative, positive spiral. Distrust, fear, or envy can also spiral into deeper division and conflict if not interrupted.
In kingdom terms, regular time in Scripture and prayer → greater love for God and others → more obedience and service → deeper joy and peace → even greater desire for God, forming a holy, upward spiral. Neglect of spiritual disciplines can lead to a downward spiral of hardness, indifference, and distance from God
This Circular Cumulative Causation is also seen in the law of sowing and reaping. Our faithful sowing creates the same underlying reality: small causes, repeated and reinforced, produce large, self-sustaining effects over time.
As leaders, we should consider how we cultivate this virtuous circle or positive spiral. Personally, it means if we sow faithfully through daily prayer, Scripture, repentance, service, we can expect to reap abundantly the fruit of greater love for God, peace, wisdom, answered prayer, fruit in relationships. Cumulative efforts over months and years produce profound change: our character is transformed and ultimately, we become more like Christ.
In organizations this approach means creating a vision for the types of small, incremental practices, habits, and procedures that can lead to systemic change and advance our goals through their cumulative power. To achieve this we, as leaders, must move our sights from quantum leaps to cumulative consistency. We must steward the small things, value the God-honoring daily choices and lead our people to do the same. The small choices are not trivial; they are seeds that will grow into a harvest.
Faithfulness in little things is the foundation of faithfulness in much. “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. (Luke 16:10).
The greatest challenge we face is impatience. If we steward the small things we must also expect change to take time. It will not produce instant results. Like the farmer, as leaders we must be patient: “At the proper time we will reap, if we do not give up” (Gal. 6:9). We must trust God’s timing not ours. He often works gradually, line upon line, precept upon precept.
Here are seven practical small steps we, as leaders, can take to start our ministries on this upward cycle.
- Work with your team to identify small seeds and encourage everyone in your ministry to sow them daily.
- Lead by example. Commit yourself to small disciplines in your own life as a leader, especially prayer, Scripture, and fellowship.
- Keep your focus on investing in the long-term, not just the immediate.
- Be patient and allow the positive spiral to become the DNA of your ministry, trusting God for the increase (1 Corinthians 3:5-9).
- Speak into your culture to create a sense of value in these small, daily actions starting with your board and moving to your larger community.
- Guard against the negative spiral. When you notice envy, bitterness, or neglect, confess it and return to small, faithful actions.
- Live in the circle. As you see God’s faithfulness in small things, let that fuel greater faithfulness, creating a holy, upward spiral of grace and fruit. And be sure to give him the glory!
