For some reason, Colorado is famous for chipped windshields. I knew that sinking feeling well when we lived there. I’d hear a “click” as a small stone smacked my windshield and left its mark. If I let it go too long, that small chip would grow into lines that ran across the glass. Then it was too late to repair it.

When I left the state, I had about a half dozen chips in my windshield. Why didn’t I deal with them? Because after a while it was like “whack-a-mole.” Chips happened so often I just gave up and ignored them. Yes, eventually I’ll have to replace the pocked, lined glass.

As we go through life, our faith often is often chipped like my windshield. It’s not the big things that cause the damage, but the little things. And they add up.

For instance, the other day, I was reinstalling the plumbing on my bathroom pedestal sink. We had added a wood floor, had removed the sink and now the fun was about to begin. First, I learned that the water lines were now too short to reconnect to the valve. Then I discovered that the lines were glued into the handle hardware and not screwed in. But I persisted. Finally, after all my work, I realized I had installed the drain incorrectly when it leaked as I tested it with a pail of water.

Each of these little things were manageable in themselves, but together, after three hours, they caused me to shout, “Plumber!”

In the process, I was not living out my faith, if you know what I mean. I was a discouraged, frustrated mess by the end of the night.

What’s chipping away at your faith these days? Sure, we can often lean into Jesus when major trials and hardships meet us, but how about when the little things wear us down?

I often ask myself why I can be a super-spiritual man when it comes to trusting God for the big things, but I’m a wimp in the little things? 

It comes down to perspective. I can easily lose my eternal perspective when I am riddled by the small stones that chip away at my life.

In the big scheme of things, who cares if I get the sink installed tonight? What does that have to do with seeing the world come to Christ? 

If your faith is cracked right now, step back and see the world as Jesus does. His heart is that all people come to know and worship him. He desires that you reflect that character of God. He wants to live through you with his Holy Spirit. He wants you to experience the joy of walking with him.

As you ramp up for the day, or as you close things down for the night, name those chips that are dinging your life right now. Bring them before the Lord and let him do the repairs. Then take a deep breath and get perspective on the things of life that Jesus values.

I can’t say that your faith will instantly become “rock solid,” but it will head in that direction if you make this a common practice.

(From my new devotional Your Life With God: 30 Days of Faith. Available in Kindle and paperback on Amazon).