20 Oct W1 | Be Faithful In The Little Things
REFERENCE BIBLE VERSES
Luke 16:10 NIV | Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.
Matthew 25:21 NIV | 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!’
OBJECTIVE
Monthly Theme: Excellence in Stewardship
Become faithful with the little that you have as you grow your capacity to stewards more
CONTENT
SMALL THINGS MATTERS
- God doesn’t measure our stewardship by the size of our accomplishment, but rather by our faithfulness with what has been given. Faithfulness is more about the position of our heart rather than quantity or quality of what we produce.
- God doesn’t have to work with us but He chooses to involve us anyway because He trusts us and wants us to grow.
- God always rewards our faithfulness, no matter how small. When we do it for the audience of One, He sees everything and nothing is too small for the Lord. Before anything, we need to prioritize God’s approval rather than seeking men’s validation or our ego.
- Our “smallness” may indicate God’s test of our faithfulness before the bigger things come our way. If we aren’t faithful with the small, we won’t be faithful with the bigger things.
- Faithfulness also comes in hand with integrity. When the world only cares for big things, our characters are tested to tend for the small. God cares not only for short-lived promotion. God cares for eternal promotion: that’s why our character is measured with the small, to see if our integrity is intact and in line with eternal values. God can promote anyone in a flash, but timing and testing are all a part of His plan to set apart those whose hearts are aligned with His. (Matthew 25:14-30 - parable of the talents)
- When our heart's motivation is not right, we will be more fixated on the size of accomplishment rather than the genuine heart that wants to please God. We will fall victim to idolatry and the success will be hard to sustain.
THE KEY TO GREATER THINGS
- The key to maintaining greater things lies in the realization that everything belongs to God and out of the want to please God, instead of self-promotion.
- Every man has their personal ambition. But along their walk with God, they will find God given tasks will fulfill them more than any self ambition can ever will.
- Viewing “smallness” as a God-enabled opportunity to grow God’s kingdom instead of being burdened by the discomfort will ensure us to keep our eyes on the prize.
- Our mindset needs to be fixed on the fact that every gift God gave us is just like its name - a gift. That means it is freely given and enabled by God. When we understand that we are merely vessels, we will stop measuring God’s task by the worldly standard of big or small.
- God measures our faithfulness by our wholehearted effort to work out the gift of salvation and all its benefits. When the world measures success by the recognition we get, God cares even for the works that are hidden, underappreciated, or behind the scenes.
- Oftentimes what sets the difference apart is the motivation of the heart: Why we do what we do (doing things for the glory of God) matters more than what we actually do.
- When our excellence is done out of the longing to please God, excellence will show for itself without the need for men to promote it. When God’s favor is upon us, results will reflect His glory naturally without all the striving.
- When we develop the right attitude towards “small” things, God is pleased and we become ready to steward bigger responsibilities. Just like weightlifting, God’s process is intentional with what we can lift at the moment. The increments in the weight or responsibility reflects just how He knows just how much we can handle with our present capabilities. It also reveals our level of trust in Him and His timing.
- God can give promotion right away, but He does so gradually so that our character can stand the promotion He wills to give. God cares more about the growth of our character rather than just expecting great results. This is why God rarely gives success overnight - He knows we will be spoiled and the success will be short-lived.
REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- Imagine a time where you are more concerned with the size of your ministry, rather than a genuine heart that wants to serve God? How did it end?
- What sort of mindset do you need to have so that you are faithful with whatever God gives you?
- Why do you think God gives us responsibility starting with the small? Do you believe God is intentional with the process?
REFERENCES