Faithful in Little and Much: Unfaithful in Little and Much

My Story

One of my favorite attributes about God is His faithfulness. I’m not sure it’s proper to say something like that- to place one attribute of another- but it’s how I feel and how I’ve always felt since I was converted. I love that God is Who He says He is and does what He says He will. He always has and always will. He is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. He does not lie and indeed cannot lie. There is no possibility that He will forget, get distracted, lose interest, or change His mind. There is no chance that anyone or anything can cause Him to do otherwise. 

Jesus is altogether different than we are. Even on our best day, even when we give our best, we often fail. He can’t fail. We know that cognitively, but when tests come, we get scared and sometimes we lose heart. That does not change who He is. Does not diminish His promises.

If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself (2 Timothy 2: 13).

Setting the Perspective

The verse we’re looking at today is part of parable (an earthly story with a heavenly meaning). It has a big earthly application in itself, and it’s spiritual application is enhanced by the verses immediately following. That’s important to say because sometimes people have a tendency to only focus on the earthly, at the exclusion of the heavenly.

Jesus says, He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much; and he that is unjust in the least in unjust also in much (Luke 16:10). Faithfulness is being “true to one’s word, promises, vows, etc.” We are urged to be faithful over the smaller things, the lesser things, the things that may not be the most prominent or glorious. If we aren’t, Jesus doesn’t say we’re unfaithful: He says we’re unjust (“not just; lacking in justice or fairness”).

Faithfulness is a quality that drives action. Either we can be trusted to do what we said, to do what we committed to, to keep our promises, to be fair, to do right; or we can’t. It shows up in all areas of our lives: financial, relationships, professional, and spiritual.  

Financial Life

In your financial life, it could look like committing the mundane discipline of budgeting so you can learn to properly steward the income Jesus has given you. You’ve heard situations where people who have won the lottery, movie stars, and athletes lost millions of dollars in a matter of a few years.  Why? Because they were unfaithful over the little bit they had before they won or earned the millions. One of Dr. Lynn Richardson’s favorite quote is, “More money doesn’t solve a money problem. If it did, millionaires wouldn’t go broke.” And she’s right. If you don’t learn the discipline of living on a budget while you are broke, you’re not going to automatically develop that skill and discipline just

because you have more money. And don’t be foolish in thinking wealthy people don’t need to budget or don’t budget. They do. Be faithful to the mundane in your little, so you improve your chances when given much.

Relationships

In relationships it could look like being present in body and mind, when you say you’ll be present. That may mean shutting off your cell phone, and thoughts about work or your to-do list; so, you can be as fully present as you can. I know, firsthand, how it is to wake up after ten years and realize you have this great fire in you to be used by Jesus to make a difference, but the people closest to you (family-wise) are the one’s furthest from you (relationship-wise). I guess (not to be crude), my family were the lesser ones. They were the ones I took for granted and just assumed loved me and would be there while I was chasing the life, I thought God had for me. Something like that doesn’t fix itself overnight. Relationships don’t flourish if not nurtured. Be faithful to go back and work on those relationships before moving forward.

 Professional Life

In your professional life, it could look like doing the job you’re in, right now, the way you said you would when you were hired. I’ve seen many situations where people wanted promotions, but they were barely doing the job they were in. They always had excuses of who did what, when, but the reality is, most people don’t get promotions based on how well you used to work- before this, that, and the other? Be faithful to do this job and who knows what Jesus may have for you next.

Spiritual Life

In your spiritual life, it could look like showing up to the Word of God, daily, no matter what, knowing your soul needs food just as your body needs food. Every day you are faced with more things to do. If you have not developed a discipline for being in the word of God on a consistent basis, you won’t fare better with your new more “jammed packed” schedule. I used to study in the evenings. As my schedule picked up, I found myself pushing my bible study and devotions later in the night. I was constantly fighting to stay awake, flat out falling asleep while studying, and/or skipping my it altogether. I had to move my studies to the mornings. One day, we might hope to create a more simplified life, but that may not happen in the foreseeable future. Be faithful in making daily time with Jesus, in His Word, now so when life happens, this practice will already be in place.

Conclusion

Let’s learn and commit to do the smaller things. It’s preparation for whatever God has for us next. And while faithfulness concerning spiritual matters holds a higher priority, that doesn’t mean we aren’t called to faithful in how we live in this present world and how we govern ourselves in earthly matters. It all matters.

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Definition (Faithfulness, Unjust) per Dictionary.com 8/31/21