big is the new small
I've been thinking a lot about the idea of faithfulness. It can take on many forms: marital fidelity, doing something repeatedly and with dedication, being full of hope and belief, and even being a trustworthy and dedicated friend. But I've realized something unique about faithfulness... It really matters in the small things... Because afterall, aren't the small things really the big things in life?
In the Gospels, we see a story about a servant who pleases his master, gaining this response from him, "...Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much..." (Matthew 25:21).
This is a familiar passage to me, but as I prepared to sit here and type, it got me thinking about my own life. I am sure there are areas where I am cutting corners, or that I am being faith-less in. And if I'm REALLY honest, there are parts of me that are probably just apathetic enough to willingly 'let an area slide,' so to speak. (Not that it goes unnoticed by God, or anything). We all have these areas; no one is perfect. But if we want to truly make God smile, truly put Him first, and make our lives reflect more of Christ, then we need to peer into those areas, no matter how uncomfortable they are.
When we allow God to highlight an area of weakness in our lives, we often (almost by default) experience guilt or condemnation, sometimes even fear. This is the little rule of thumb that I go by when I experience any of those things. God wants us to live lives of peace... He's a good God. Anything that causes us uneasiness (with the exception of God's conviction), isn't of God... We don't have to feel guilty for our mistakes (beating ourselves up over them, or letting the devil make us feel defeated), we need to repent for them, and ask God to help us be more faithful to Him next time. Little victories have great significance.
Just like the pleased master in the passage from Matthew, when He finds us faithful in the small things, He can reward us with bigger opportunities...
In the Gospels, we see a story about a servant who pleases his master, gaining this response from him, "...Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much..." (Matthew 25:21).
This is a familiar passage to me, but as I prepared to sit here and type, it got me thinking about my own life. I am sure there are areas where I am cutting corners, or that I am being faith-less in. And if I'm REALLY honest, there are parts of me that are probably just apathetic enough to willingly 'let an area slide,' so to speak. (Not that it goes unnoticed by God, or anything). We all have these areas; no one is perfect. But if we want to truly make God smile, truly put Him first, and make our lives reflect more of Christ, then we need to peer into those areas, no matter how uncomfortable they are.
When we allow God to highlight an area of weakness in our lives, we often (almost by default) experience guilt or condemnation, sometimes even fear. This is the little rule of thumb that I go by when I experience any of those things. God wants us to live lives of peace... He's a good God. Anything that causes us uneasiness (with the exception of God's conviction), isn't of God... We don't have to feel guilty for our mistakes (beating ourselves up over them, or letting the devil make us feel defeated), we need to repent for them, and ask God to help us be more faithful to Him next time. Little victories have great significance.
Just like the pleased master in the passage from Matthew, when He finds us faithful in the small things, He can reward us with bigger opportunities...
posted by Amber | 7:36 PM
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