Edging Off The Path

Sometimes we act as if it’s the large things that trip us up—as if we merely need to avoid big pitfalls. But it’s actually the small things that so often make us stumble.

Joe Marciano, an assistant coach for me in Tampa, had a saying that always resonated with our team: “Death by inches.” When a team is winning, coaches have a tendency to let little details slide by because things are going well. Then suddenly we’re in a losing streak and can’t figure out why. It’s because those small, infrequent mistakes that didn’t get corrected have become the norm, and the team can’t get that sharpness back.

It can happen in life as well. We know the rules to keep ourselves out of trouble. But then there’s one compromise. Then another. Before we know it, we’re so far off course, we can’t imagine how we got there. Of course, looking back, we can trace the path: one small step at a time.

We know that the life God calls us to is straight ahead. Be aware and wary of the small things that can lead you off track.

His Promises

Don’t do as the wicked do,

and don’t follow the path of evildoers.

Don’t even think about it; don’t go that way.

Turn away and keep moving.

You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.

Your word is a lamp to guide my feet

and a light for my path.