“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:2, NIV).

My wife and I had the pleasure the last two weeks to visit Istanbul (previously Constantinople) for the first time. The Roman Empire was centered here for nearly 1,000 years before the Ottomans laid siege and conquered the city in the 15th century. From 532 AD to 1453 AD, the great Hagai Sophia was the center of Christian worship. The Ottomans transformed it into a great mosque, scratching away the crosses but keeping most of the architecture intact. They made one fascinating change. The original Christian apse (altar and primary focus for worship) had been facing directly east, symbolically toward Jerusalem. However, Islam needed to direct their prayers toward Mecca, so this focus for worship had to be moved. It was converted to a Muslim mihrab and shifted about 10 degrees southeast from the building’s east-west axis, a minor architectural change that made all the difference in the world.

Looking down from the second-floor balcony at the prayer carpets angled toward the slightly off-center mihrab, I realized subtle changes in my own Christian faith can dramatically change the effectiveness of my discipleship.

Small changes matter. How much does it change my effectiveness for God’s kingdom if I focus just 10 degrees more on me than Him, 10 degrees more on getting than giving, 10 degrees more on my reputation than His, 10 degrees more on “…the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life…” (1 John 2:16, NIV), 10 degrees more on “…the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desire for other things…” (Mark 4:19, NIV), 10 degrees more on the “things of earth” than on prayer, sacrificial service and soaking in His Word?

The good thing is that such a 10-degree shift can move in either direction. What if I chose one: time, or money, or pleasure, or personal advancement, or a particular relationship in my life and deliberately moved my focus for one of these just 10 degrees more toward God’s kingdom? It would be such a small change, but with God’s presence and power, this deliberate, minor change might make all the difference in His kingdom.

Dear Father,

Let me change step by step, degree by degree toward your perfect will for my life.

Amen