How to Do Big Things for God (One Small Step at a Time)

When we think about people who did great things for God, Abraham is always near the top of the list. In the book of Genesis, God made a covenant with him that would shape the course of human history. Through Abraham came the nation of Israel, and ultimately, the Messiah. His faith is praised all throughout scripture. He trusted God enough to leave everything that he knew, believed God’s promises when they seemed impossible, and was even willing to offer up his own son as a sacrifice if it would please God.

From our perspective, what Abraham was able to accomplish seems impossible. We admire him, but if we’re being honest, we often feel like we could never do what he did. In the Bible, we can trace all of Abraham's accomplishments back to the twelfth chapter in the Bible.

Genesis 12:1 - “Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee.”

To us, this feels like the beginning of everything. The moment Abraham stepped out into the unknown. The moment of great, radical faith where he went from being an ordinary man to the great Father Abraham. But notice the wording... “Now the Lord had said.” This suggests that God had already been working in Abraham’s life before this moment. This wasn’t the first time Abraham had heard God’s voice. It wasn’t the first step of faith—just the next one. What looks like a giant leap to us was, for Abraham, simply another step in a growing relationship with God.

The Staircase of Faith

Think about a staircase. No one climbs to the top in one giant step. It’s impossible. The only way to reach the top is by taking one step at a time. Each step may seem small, but each one is necessary. Nobody can reach the top on one step, but we can all take the next step.

The Christian life works the same way. We often focus on the top of the staircase—the “big things” we want to do for God. We imagine being used in a powerful way, making a lasting impact, or living a life of great faith. But then reality sets in, we look at where we are now, and the gap feels overwhelming. All the while, God is not asking us to jump to the top. He’s asking us to simply take the next step.

Big Faith Is Built on Small Steps

Abraham didn’t wake up one day ready to trust God with everything. His faith was built over time.

Before he ever left his country, he had already been learning to recognize God’s voice. Before he believed God for a son in his old age, he had already taken smaller steps of obedience. Before he was willing to offer Isaac, he had already seen God prove Himself faithful again and again. Each step prepared him for the next.

This is how God works in our life. We tend to think that “big faith” appears suddenly, but in reality, it is the result of many small decisions to trust and obey God. Every time you choose to follow Him in a small matter, your faith grows. Every step makes the next one a little easier. When you trust God in one are, he will prove himself worry of your truth, and your faith will grow.

Stop Worrying About the Top Step

One of the biggest reasons people don’t move forward in their walk with God is because they are too focused on the end result. Compared to where they are now, it seems unobtainable.

“What if I fail?”

“What if I can’t handle what comes next?”

“What if I'm not good enough for God's plan?”

But these questions are part of future steps. As God builds your faith, these questions will work themselves out. You’re not responsible for the top of the staircase. You’re responsible for the step in front of you. Abraham didn’t know where he was going when he left his country. God didn’t hand him a map with gps coordinates. He simply said, “Go… unto a land that I will shew thee.”

That required trust—not in the destination, but in God Himself. That’s the key. God rarely reveals the entire plan. He reveals the next step and asks us to trust him with the rest.

What Is Your Next Step?

This is where faith becomes practical. Doing “big things for God” doesn’t start with something dramatic. It starts with something specific.

Maybe your next step is...

• Setting aside time each day to read God’s Word

• Starting a consistent prayer life

• Sharing the gospel with someone you know

• Getting involved in a local church

• Forgiving someone who has wronged you

• Giving generously when it feels uncomfortable

• Taking a stand for truth in a difficult situation

None of these feel like the top of the staircase. In fact, they may even feel small and insignificant.

But they're not. They are steps... steps to help you get somewhere.

Faith Requires Movement

A staircase is useless if you just stand at the bottom and admire it. You can study it, analyze it, and even talk about how great it would be to reach the top—but none of that gets you any higher. At some point, you have to take your first step.

Faith is not just believing that God can do something. It’s acting on what He has said. It’s moving forward even when you don’t see the full picture. Abraham’s faith was counted as righteousness not just because he believed God, but because he acted on that belief.

• He left

• He followed

• He obeyed

It all started with a single step.

Don’t Despise Small Beginnings

Too often, we overlook small acts of obedience because they don’t feel impressive, but God values faithfulness, even in the small things. A small step taken in obedience is far more significant than a big goal that never turns leads to action.

Every time you trust God, your faith will grow... one step at a time. You are training your heart to rely on Him and preparing for greater things ahead. What seems small now may be the very thing God uses to shape your life.

The View from the Top

Here’s something encouraging to consider. Over time, if you faithfully take one step at a time, you will eventually look back and realize how far God has brought you. What once felt impossible will become your testimony. What once required great effort will become second nature. And what once seemed like “big things” will simply be the result of a life that consistently followed God, one step at a time.

Take the Next Step Today

You don’t need to have everything figured out.

You don’t need to know where the staircase ends.

You don’t need to feel ready for the top.

You just need to take the next step.

That’s what Abraham did. What looked like a giant leap to us was, for him, just the next act of obedience in a growing walk with God. The same can be true for you.

Stop standing at the bottom, staring at the top.

Look down.

Find the step right in front of you.

And take it.