Be & do your best in everything, even small ones!

Luke 16:9-15

“The rich man had to admire the rascal for being so shrewd. And it is true that the citizens of this world are more clever in dishonesty than the godly are. But shall I tell you to act that way, to buy friendship through cheating? Will this ensure your entry into an everlasting home in heaven? No! For unless you are honest in small matters, you won’t be in large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people’s money, why should you be entrusted with money of your own? “For neither you nor anyone else can serve two masters. You will hate one and show loyalty to the other, or else the other way around—you will be enthusiastic about one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” The Pharisees, who dearly loved their money, naturally scoffed at all this. Then he said to them, “You wear a noble, pious expression in public, but God knows your evil hearts. Your pretense brings you honor from the people, but it is an abomination in the sight of God.

Food for thought!

The way we carry out our daily duties says much about us. The way we conduct small tasks is the best proof of our fitness or unfitness to conduct big tasks. Some of us wonder why we are always skipped while others are promoted. Well, Jesus knows why.

"For unless you are honest in small matters, you won’t be in large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities."

No person will be advanced to higher office until he has given proof of his honesty and ability in a smaller position. Before we swim in a big pond we have to master a smaller one. If you’re honest in small things, you’ll be honest in big things; if you’re a crook in small things, you’ll be a crook in big things. For that reason, let us always be and do our best in everything we do, big or small; let us be our best at home and away from home.

But Jesus extends the principle to eternity. He says, upon earth we are in charge of things which are not really ours, for we cannot take them with us when we die. They are only lent to us. We are only a steward over them. They cannot, in the nature of things, be permanently ours. On the other hand, in heaven we will get what is really and eternally ours. And what we get in heaven depends on how we use the things of earth. What we will be given as our very own will depend on how we use the things of which we are only steward.