He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the righteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in at is another man’s, who will give you your own?” (Luke 16:10-12)
The story was once told of a dog that was so loyal to his owner that he followed him everywhere. Sometime later the man died and was buried in a local cemetery. Hardly anyone noticed the little dog trailing behind the mourners; but after they left, the dog sat down on his master’s grave. He stayed there not for a day, a week, or a month, but for the rest of his life! Interested people gave him food and water, and he never left the spot where his master was laid to rest. After 12 years, he finally died at his post of vigilance. That was faithfulness!
God does not start us off in life with the big things. Instead, He gives a little and watches to see what we do with it. Our promotion most often does not depend on instant formulas or push buttons, but on how faithful we are with the little things we do from day to day. If there is anything God crowns, it is our faithfulness.
Show me a man who cannot do little things well and I will show you a man who cannot be trusted with big things. As it has been rightly said, “A little thing is a little thing, but faithfulness in little things is a very great thing.” If you are not faithful in little, you cannot be faithful in much.
God the Creator and Sustainer of the universe is Faithful. He faithfully makes His sun to shine on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and the unjust. He faithfully answers us when we call upon Him. He faithfully fulfils every promise He makes to us and grants the desire of every creature. He faithfully gives us eternal life when we come to Him through His Son Jesus Christ. Now, you will begin to understand why he demands faithfulness from us and rewards it anywhere He finds it.
You may be a man of great faith. But until God has faith in you, you will remain at the start line. Faithfulness is described as loyalty or firmness in commitment. It is steadfastness, consistency, fidelity or accuracy. It suggests in a special way loyalty to one’s husband or wife by not getting intimate with someone else. Your faithfulness says, “You can count on me, whether in little or great matters.” Do you know the world is in dire need of faithful people?
When you are faithful, you are trustworthy. More will be committed to you, and that will lead to promotions here and hereafter. As King Solomon said, “A faithful man will abound with blessings, but he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished” (Proverbs 28:20).
“Fidelity;” it has been said, “depends not on the amount entrusted, but on the sense of responsibility.” And that is exactly the lesson learnt from the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30). The servants that receive five and two talents respectively got a single word, not of mere satisfaction, but of warm and delighted commendation. They were both commended in the same terms, and their reward was precisely the same. Do you know that God specializes in using the insignificant to accomplish the impossible if only we are faithful with it?
I perceive you are thinking of the possible areas you can be more faithful. In your marriage! In your relationship with God! On your job! Your faithfulness must extend to the way you handle resources that God (or your employer) has in your care. As our text states, “If you are not faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you your own.” You cannot qualify for having your own without being faithful in that which is another man’s.
Faithfulness is a 24/7 job, not a once-in-a-while thing. I am reminded of the story of certain officers who once approached Napoleon to recommend a young captain for promotion. Napoleon asked, “Why do you recommend the man?” Their answer was that through courage and cleverness he had recently won a signal victory. “Good,” said Napoleon, “but what did he do the next day and the next day after?” On investigation, they found out that he had gone back to his usual indolent and casual manner of life. Napoleon, therefore, refused to advance the man. He was looking for consistency and steadfastness.
Faithfulness will promote you. The much you have been expecting has probably not come because you have not been faithful with the little committed to you. But you can ask God today for the grace to become more faithful. He will help you to be consistent in whatever you do and great things will be committed to you.
Confession
I receive the grace to be more and more faithful. I am faithful in little things and God is committing bigger things to me. I am faithful with another man’s resources and God is blessing me with mine. I have the faithful nature of Christ. The Bible says that a faithful man will abound with blessings. Because I am faithful, I enjoy the limitless blessings of God. In Jesus’ name. Amen.