I’ve been thinking a lot today about being faithful in the small things.
It’s easy to think big.
Everyone does it but for some reason our culture acts like some people have the ability to think big and others, well, just do not. I don’t buy that. I think everyone has dreams and aspirations, even if they can’t see them clearly at the time. The desire to do something greater than the sum of ourselves is in each of us.
So, I suppose what our culture really is admonishing is the ability for someone to act on their big ideas. We all have big aspirations, in our culture, but very few do something with them other than daydreaming. To put feet to what they dream about and be diligent in the art of the work in getting there, this is what matters. Doing something with what we have been given.
Now, I know some of you reading this look in a mirror and don’t see this big idea your supposed to be dreaming about. You just see you… And, for many that means seeing all the ways you don’t line up to whatever big pictures your “supposed” to be following.
You are not alone and you don’t have to figure it all out. I think what it comes down to is we just have to be faithful in what we have been given.
This reminded me of the parable Jesus told about the servants and the talents. If you haven’t read it in a while you can read the full parable here. Otherwise, the short paraphrased version is a master is leaving on a journey so he gives each of his 3 servants talents to steward while he is gone. One gets 5 talents, the other 2 talents and the last servant gets 1.
The servants who received 5 and 2 talents immediately went out traded them and made double the talents back. The servant with 1 talent decided digging a hole and burying his talent was the best long term plan; even though he knew his master made a return on his investments where he didn’t sow himself… we will refer to this servant as Mr. Hole.
Long story short, the master returns and settles accounts rewarding the first two servants who doubled their talents by saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant.You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.”
Mr. Hole was scolded and cast out since the master saw him as lazy and evil for doing nothing with what he was given.
There is so much I could go into with this parable but to keep this post somewhat brief what I want you to take away are two words immediately and faithful.
They Immediately Did Something With Their Talents:
The first two servants didn’t wait to do something with what they were given. And in comparison they were given a lot. 1 talent was equal to 6,000 days wages. Put that into perspective and the one with 5 talents received over 82 YEARS worth of wages. But, I think that’s also where many of us lose focus in this parable.
The amount is huge and we equate that to them deserving the reward they received.It’s easy to wait for tomorrow and forfeit today But when you read through the parable, the master gave each servant talents according to his ability but rewarded them based on how faithful they were to the heart of their master. Did they do what the master would have wanted them to do with what they were given.
The first two servants did so immediately. They didn’t wait to put the gifts their master had given them to work. It’s easy to wait for tomorrow and forfeit today.
They Were Faithful With What They Were Given:
Yet, it didn’t really matter how much they were given, just that they were faithful with it. The servant with 1 talent probably didn’t know how to invest money in trade. But that’s not what the master was asking for.
He was looking at the servants heart and asking if he was faithful in his abilities to what he was given. Did he try to do something. I like to think he could have even tried and failed and the master still would have rewarded him because it wasn’t about the amount it was about the faithfulness to the master.
God has given us all things to steward and be faithful in. Our jobs, families, ideas, dreams and resources. They are all gifts from God on loan to us.
I think our take away from this is for us to be intentional in putting what we have been given into practice with a faithfulness to the heart of our Father.
How do you think being faithful in the small things looks like in day-to-day life?
