June 11, 2022

“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. [Luk 16:10 ESV]

I was a bit startled one day to read this verse and have it take on a whole new meaning. In the context, Jesus is sharing a parable about a dishonest manager who was accused of wasting his master’s possessions. I had always understood the verse above to mean that if your faithful in small things, you will be faithful when the big things happen in life also. But suddenly, I also wondered if Jesus had more in mind the idea that “a very little thing” was indeed a big matter, meaning being faithful in those small things is something on which God places great value, and reminds us to not look down on those tasks or tiny matters of life as insignificant. The word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, “Who dares despise the day of small things…?” [Zech 4:10]

The really powerful thing here is that the Lord is always looking for the little acts of obedience we bring Him, or acts of faith. He is able to take that small thing and use it for His glory. I’m thinking of the miracle of the loaves and fishes. How about you? What instances in the bible can you think of that show that our being little, i.e. having a humble heart, and doing very little things honors God? What things in your life do you look down on, as if they are insignificant–or maybe even beneath your pay grade?