Influencers Weekly Devotional
The Little Things are BIG
By
Bryan Craig
“Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”
Matthew 25:27
Years ago, I was rocking one of my baby girls to sleep while giving her a bottle. As I sat in the quiet of her room, I found myself praying. I was thinking of myself as I prayed, “Lord, will I ever do anything great for you?” Almost immediately, I heard a response in my spirit, which said, “What if it’s not you, but the baby you are holding. What if she’s going to do something great for Me?” I looked down at the beautiful innocent little one in my arms and suddenly I thought of how important my job was as a Daddy. This thought has visited me many times through the years with my four daughters, and the theme is always the same. God reminds me that my main ministry is to my wife and to my girls. However, there is a bigger theme that God has proven to me over and over again on my Journey with Him. It is that the little things seem to make the most difference. You may have heard some theories of success in business which center around the thought that it takes hard work and dedication over a long period of time to reach the pinnacle of success. As a matter of fact, some have quantified this effort into 10,000 hours. Self-made millionaires might even defend their wealth to on-lookers with the remark that it didn’t happen overnight; rather, it took 10,000 hours of dedicated focus. Financial planners who want to help individuals get out of debt will talk about the slow, steady approach which requires discipline and planning. Rarely does someone get a windfall which solve all their money problems. So, it is the little steps which are faithfully followed which yield the greatest results. Spiritually speaking, Jesus shares a similar thought in the Parable of the Talents quoted above from Matthew 25. He is teaching His disciples about the Kingdom of Heaven in Chapters 24 and 25 of Matthew. He is talking about the “End of the Age” and then, in a series of parables, he urges them to be ready. In each case, He lauds faithfulness in the little things. He connects this faithfulness to the Kingdom of Heaven. In the Parable of the Ten Virgins, Jesus talks about those who were ready for the Bridegroom’s return. These were the ones who had their lamps ready with plenty of oil. I believe this oil represents the Holy Spirit. Thus, the first step of faithfulness is receiving Christ and His Spirit. The next parable is the Parable of the Talents. In this, Jesus is talking about the gifts and talents He has entrusted to each of us. It doesn’t matter the measure of the gifts. What matters is how we use our gifts for God’s glory. He takes note of the faithfulness in the little things, which leads to greater responsibility and honor in God’s Kingdom. Lastly, Jesus shares the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats. In this, He gives us tangible expressions of faithfulness, small acts of generosity and love that draw the attention of Heaven. He speaks of feeding the hungry, welcoming strangers, clothing those in need and visiting those in prison. The interesting thing is that the righteous who are described as doing these little acts of kindness did not even realize they were doing something significant. I believe the Kingdom of Heaven is found in the little things. Most of these things will go unnoticed by the world, but they are never missed by our loving Father’s eyes. If you want to grow in your relationship with Christ and discover the abundant life Jesus promises to His believers, the secret is before you.
- Start by giving your life to Christ. Surrender your rights and your expectations and be content with His plans.
- Next, seek Him in His Word. Spending a little time in His Word every day will do wonders.
- Pray continually. Your prayers do not have to be long and flowery. I think He would rather have short, heartfelt prayers throughout the day.
- As you read His Word and Pray, listen for promptings from the Holy Spirit. As my pastor says, if you hear a voice telling you to do something unselfish and kind for someone else, you can be sure it is the Holy Spirit.
- Do the things you are hearing! Yes, God honors our obedience in the little things. But it is up to us whether or not we will act on those things.