Luke 16:10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. 11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?
This passage of scripture teaches us to be faithful in the temporal things of life, because when faithfulness is revealed in little things, the same characteristic is then carried over to the larger issues. It is important for us to understand that the bulk of our daily walk with God, takes place on a very practical level in our interactions with our fellowmen, and in the temporal work and business in which we may be engaged. The intellectual and spiritual aspect of Christianity takes place on our knees and during the study of God's word as He speaks to us through the pages of scripture, and as the still, small voice of The Holy Spirit guides us in right paths. But the rubber meets the road after our devotions are finished, when the intellectual and spiritual aspects converge in real life experiences, and where practical godliness is interfaced with our daily duties and chores.
Thus it is of critical importance to character development, that the laws and principles of God's kingdom be closely interwoven in our daily life, so that growth can take place continually. One of the areas in which many of us often fall short is in the handling or management of the temporal blessings of life, for we sometimes become careless in these things as if they are of no consequence. But in the passage above Christ refutes this ideology by stating that if we are not faithful stewards in the minor things of life, then we cannot be entrusted with weightier matters, because the same carelessness manifested in supposedly minute issues will resurface again in larger ones.
In the parable referred to, the steward had wasted his master's goods because there was an abundant supply, and he did not think it necessary to exercise sound judgment and prudence in the disbursement of His master's funds. And so he wasted not only the literal resources of finances entrusted to him, but he most likely wasted precious moments of time, for a waster will waste whatsoever is entrusted to his care. And so it reached a boiling point when the master called him to account, with the intent of firing him, because no employer or company will ever take kindly to the thought of a wasteful worker. Let's read:
Luke 16:1 And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. 2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.
Every year billions of pounds of food are thrown away simply because we have the resources readily available, and this problem is not restricted to the state and federal levels, but it can also be seen in many homes across the land. For instance, at any given moment most of us here in America can go to our refrigerators and find fruit and vegetables that must be thrown out, because we purchased an overabundance without careful consideration. Then again the same tendency to waste can be seen in our spending habits, for it is a fact that we often come home from shopping with items that were bought on the spur of the moment, and it is often the case that they are hardly, if ever used.
God does not teach us these methods, for everything that He created had some specific use and purpose, and when He was finished with His creation of the world, everything had its appointed place in the great cycle of life, with absolutely nothing going to waste. Thus by precept and example Christ teaches us to make the most and best use of everything that is placed under our care. Excess food and clothing can be given away to various charities or the homeless, and idle time may be used in more constructive ways than beholding the one eyed monster, who has mostly garbage on display.
Then again, in the management of that which we have been blessed with, care should be taken to have it last for the longest time possible, and kept in the best condition, so that unnecessary and frequent replacements can be avoided as far as possible. But the disposition to be careless with The Lord's goods, just because He owns the world is not acceptable by any means, and if this is the case with any of us as Christians, the deficiencies should be corrected. When Joseph was put in charge of Potiphar's house and goods, the Egyptian quickly realized that they were being multiplied, and according to the scriptures, he suffered no loss whatsoever, hence the reason why Joseph was then made overseer of all his possessions.
The question is, can our employers say the same of us, and could God make that same claim of those to whom He has delivered both temporal and spiritual goods? Are we to be found working feverishly only when the boss is looking, and are we found napping when he or she is absent? If we were to be called to account this very day, to answer for our faithfulness in little things, can God say of us, "Well done thou good and faithful servant" or will He take the talents from us to give to another?
Let us therefore be faithful in that which is least, ever seeking to interface our day to day experiences with the sacred principles of God's word, for so an abundant entrance will be granted us when The Master comes to claim His own. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which reiterates this sacred truth, and it is the will of God that all deficiencies in our characters be removed by His grace. Let's read:
Matthew 25:20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. 21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. "Good night" and God bless!