“Readiness for God means that we are prepared to do the smallest thing or the largest thing—it makes no difference. It means we have no choice in what we want to do, but that whatever God’s plans may be, we are there and ready” (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest).

A lot of us have the idea that God’s call means going overseas or stepping into something monumental. Or at least I have in the past.

Sometimes God’s call is to be faithful where you are and to be obedient in the smallest things until God knows you can be trusted to handle bigger things. Mother Teresa once said that we do no great things but only small things with great love.

Any act of faithful obedience is a mustard seed that can sprout into something that will bless multitudes. Besides, it’s not our big faith in God that moves mountains but faith in a big God.

Above all, the key is readiness. That means that I am able to obey God in the moment. A friend once said that Christian maturity is the distance between God’s call and your ability to obey. A pastor said that when God does call you, you won’t have time to get ready, so you’ll have to be ready.

Readiness looks a lot like surrender. It looks a lot like letting go of my plans and saying to God, “Your will be done.”

My prayer for you and me is that we will always be ready for God to speak and willing and able to obey once He does.