If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. Luke 16:10a
If you have seen any of the Spider-Man movies, you know the quote spoken by Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben: “With great power comes great responsibility.” There is so much wisdom in this quote from Peter Parker’s endearing uncle. Those with particular gifts, strengths, talents, and abilities have a “great responsibility” to steward them well. This is particularly true for followers of Christ. You see, God has uniquely gifted every follower of Christ with resources, abilities, and more, and we are responsible for stewarding what He has given us well, seeking to reach out to the lost and make Christ known.
For the past few days, we have learned from a parable told by Jesus in Luke 16 that reminds us of our responsibility to manage our gifts, resources, and talents to make an impact for His kingdom. This parable was about a rich man who was about to fire his manager for mishandling his money. Knowing his firing was imminent, the manager took matters into his own hands to secure his future. He went to men who owed his manager various sums of money and reduced their debt, hoping they would help him after he was fired (verses 3-7). The lesson, as we have seen in our Bible study together this week, from this parable is to steward our earthly gifts, possessions, and resources with the same shrewdness to build up the kingdom of God and to live for things of eternal value (verse 9). Yesterday we were reminded that the things of this world will not last forever, which Jesus made clear as He taught the parable in Luke 16. Jesus did not stop His teaching there, however. He continued His teaching, saying, “If you are faithful in the little things, you will be faithful in large ones” (verse 10). In other words, as followers of Christ, we have a responsibility to manage our earthly gifts and talents well, even if we view them as seemingly small or insignificant, because they will impact eternity.
You may feel like your gifts and talents on this earth are so minute that they will not really matter for eternity. The truth is, however, that God can take the seemingly “little” we have to offer and use it in a big way. Even more, when we handle that seemingly “little” well, we will also be faithful in the larger things that God gives us to leverage for Him and His kingdom. Let’s manage all that God has given us well, committing to stewarding the “small” resources and responsibilities well. They will, after all, have an eternal impact.
Memorize Luke 16:10. Let this verse be a reminder to you of your responsibility to shrewdly manage even the small gifts, skills, resources, and responsibilities that God has entrusted you with here on this earth, knowing that their impact is not small. Every small decision you make to obey God, act of service you engage in, and decision to steward what God has given you well is significant to God and eternity.
“God, You have given me gifts and talents for a reason, and I want to manage them well. Stretch me…”
Going Deeper
Luke 16:10-18
10 “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. 11 And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? 12 And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own?
13 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.”
14 The Pharisees, who dearly loved their money, heard all this and scoffed at him. 15 Then he said to them, “You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts. What this world honors is detestable in the sight of God.
16 “Until John the Baptist, the law of Moses and the messages of the prophets were your guides. But now the Good News of the Kingdom of God is preached, and everyone is eager to get in. 17 But that doesn’t mean that the law has lost its force. It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the smallest point of God’s law to be overturned.
18 “For example, a man who divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery. And anyone who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.”
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