“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’” (Matthew 25:23)
I am not sure if there is anything harder than being faithful in the little things. We live in a world that constantly urges us to want “bigger” and “more.” The world tells us “Bigger is better” . . . a bigger car, a bigger house with a bigger yard and a bigger flat screen TV, a bigger office, a bigger title, a bigger paycheck, a bigger bank account. I could go on with that list, but let me say here that many of us learn from experience that bigger is not always better. “Bigger” often brings with it a bigger headache and greater heartache.
But if God does indeed have something bigger in His plans for your life, you can be assured of this: you will not receive it until you have been faithful in your stewardship over the little things that you have already been given. In other words, God is calling each one of us to grow where we are planted. Why? Because this is the place where He has placed us, and until we are faithful with what we have, God will not give us the bigger things we desire.
Let’s look at a wonderful illustration of this principle:
When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
Philip answered him, “Eight months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”
Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”
Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. (John 6:5-13)
There may be no greater story in Scripture about faithfulness in little things. Faithfulness in little things was indeed a very BIG thing in the feeding of the five thousand. When Jesus told His disciples to tell the people to sit down so they could be fed, they could not imagine how this would be possible. The only one who had anything was a little boy . . . and what he had was not much. But that boy was faithful in the little things and gave what he had to Jesus, who multiplied them to feed the multitudes . . . they even had plenty of leftovers!
You see a clear contrast between the disciples and the little boy in this story. The disciples saw what they believed could not happen with so little, while the little boy saw what he believed could happen. The disciples saw the challenge before them; the little boy saw the Christ before him. The disciples focused on what they did not have; the little boy focused on what he did have. To be sure, faithfulness in little things is truly a very big thing.
So . . . where in your life right now is Jesus calling you to be faithful in the little things? In your resources? In your education? In your life experience? In a friendship? In service to your church? In your time, talent, or treasure? God has given you everything you need to do everything He is calling you to do right now, right where this finds you. Like the little boy with the meager meal, give what little you have in service to your Lord, and watch your God return multiple blessings . . . to you and to others!
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 