I once thought my husband gave me some really wise advice. Until I watched Frozen II and discovered that actually he’d stolen Anna’s advice (hilarious)! What was this advice?

Do the next right thing.

I am naturally a planner, I like all the ducks to be lined up. I don’t like not having answers, mess (be that physical or mental) and not knowing what to do. Except life often throws stuff into the mix that leaves me feeling a little fractious, frustrated or fed up.

I’ve recently begun running again and boy is it hard. Half the time (that’s a gross exaggeration – read, ‘most of the time’) I don’t want to go out for a run. And, on the rare occasion I get my trainers on and out of the door, even in the middle of the run it’s the last thing I want to be doing. It’s gruelling, it hurts, but the next right thing when running is to put one foot in front of the other. It’s that simple – take the next step – that’s the next right thing. Fixating on how much further I must go, the fact that my breathing sounds like I’m going to keel over any second, or the growing stitch in my stomach doesn’t help in that moment. Looking at the big picture is overwhelming, doing the next right thing is achievable. One more step.

James says that “if anyone… knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them (4:17 NIV).

Doing the next right thing is all about the simple, small, immediate thing in front of you. For my children, that might be putting their shoes away when they get home rather than lobbing them across the floor (one can dream). For you, it might be putting your mobile down and looking someone in the eye when they’re talking to you. It might be as simple as calling someone, ticking off the housework you’ve been avoiding or sitting down and playing with your child.

If you’ve been overwhelmed by the big picture, big feelings or big mountain in front of you recently then break it down, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you, and in the words of Anna,

Just do the next right thing

Take a step, step again

It is all that I can to do

The next right thing

I won’t look too far ahead

It’s too much for me to take

But break it down to this next breath, this next step

This next choice is one that I can make