Small Yes, Big Faith

Great faith begins with small acts of obedience.

"Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice..." —1 Samuel 15:22 (NKJV)

When we think about spiritual maturity, it’s easy to assume it’s about how much we know—how many Bible verses we can quote, how long we’ve been in church, or how deep our theology sounds. But God doesn’t measure maturity by information—He measures it by obedience.

James makes it clear: “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22 NKJV). Knowledge without action is empty. And Hebrews reminds us that maturity is formed through consistent practice: “Solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:14 NKJV).

That means spiritual maturity isn’t about how much you’ve learned, but how much you’re willing to obey.

Faith is more than believing God exists or agreeing that He is good—it’s trusting Him enough to act on His Word, even when it doesn’t add up in our understanding. Obedience doesn’t usually come with applause or spotlight. Most often, it’s revealed in the quiet, ordinary moments—the small, consistent choices we make each day.

• Getting up to spend time in His Word

• Choosing to pray when your mind feels scattered

• Tithing when it doesn’t add up on paper

• Saying no to what feeds your flesh

• Praising God when nothing is going your way

What feels small in the moment is often the very thing God uses to produce great faith. Every quiet yes becomes a declaration: “God, I trust You more than my feelings, more than my circumstances, and more than my own understanding.”

Peter’s story paints this picture powerfully. After a long, exhausting night of catching nothing, Jesus told him, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch” (Luke 5:4). Worn out and discouraged, Peter could have refused—but instead he chose obedience: “Nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net” (Luke 5:5). That one small yes unlocked a miracle so abundant the nets began to break.

The miracle didn’t begin with the fish—it began with Peter’s yes. One simple act of obedience unlocked a harvest greater than he could imagine.

That’s the rhythm of faith. God often moves most powerfully not in our grand gestures, but in the small, ordinary moments where we choose obedience over convenience, surrender over self, trust over logic.

Faith isn’t just believing God can—it’s aligning your life with His Word and trusting Him enough to act on it, even when it stretches you, costs you, or doesn’t make sense in the moment.

Every yes becomes a seed. And when planted in obedience, those seeds grow into testimonies of God’s power and faithfulness.