Luke 16:10
“Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won’t be faithful in large ones. If you cheat even a little you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. (NLT)
Interesting scripture, it says much about character. First, understand that faithfulness is not determined by the amount entrusted but by the character of the person who uses it.
It also is about my character when no one sees….So, what do I look like when “no one’s” watching. It might be helpful to remember GOD is always with me….yikes!
I had a wonderful discussion with a friend of mine last night. We talked about the various translations and some of the controversy over them. I explained, for me, it really didn’t matter as I have been in the process of rewording scriptures to make them more personal…and at times, a bit too close to the truth, if you know what I mean….
So, as we chatted, I explained what a “gap analysis” is in business:
You set a goal or describe the “ideal” model for a company, a process, a product, a job…then you take a “snapshot” of how things are today. The difference between the present state and the desired state is the “gap” that needs to be focused on. Let me try to explain how this may work in our walk…
Look again at the Scripture:
Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won’t be faithful in large ones. If you cheat even a little you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.
So in my revision/gap analysis, I take the same verse(s) and replace the “you” with my name or “I”…
Unless “I” am faithful in small matters, “I” won’t be faithful in large ones. If “I” cheat even a little “I” won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.
This rocks my world.
Imagine you are a world-renowned sports star…lets say in basketball. Well, while the world watches you slam-dunk them in the finals and win it big in the final seconds of the final game in the final period…how did you get there?
If you had opted out on practices, given less than “your all”; had you taken shortcuts and decided not to push yourself hard and not seek good teachers (God’s the best) and not been around others seeking similar goals…..where would you be?
So, how did you get there?
Simply by being faithful in the small matters and by not cheating alittle when “no one” was watching…..Taking every opportunity, every, trial, every difficulty and trying to work out our faithfulness, our issues, our shortcomings, our sin so that we will become a person of faithfulness, honest, integrity, of CHARACTER when it comes to the really BIG MOMENTS….when everyone is watching…and it’s a do or die, hit or miss, chance in a lifetime moment.
How you handle the big things will be a reflection of how you handled the little things.
2 comments:
I tend to be rather transparent. Some of it is natural and some of it is an effort to hold myself accountable to that very scripture. Sometimes it helps me to know that someone is going to ask me if I have been being faithful to what God has given me (or asked me to do.)
It is amazing to think on that verse with the emphasis on "If you cheat even a little." It is a good reminder that while our focus is often on the big battles, we can let the small matters slide. Makes me think . . .
Thanks for that discussion, it was great. I have been thinking, and wow, heavy heavy heavy when i apply as you suggested. But good. It is hard to live Love, even as a Christian, when I don't Practice it. Thanks for opening more doors, for shwoing me more than what i already knew at face value. God Bless!
Post a Comment