The Little Things Count
Several years ago, a man named Richard Carlson wrote a book titled, “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff … and it’s all small stuff.” I think his point was not to worry about little things, and certainly that is good advice since any form of worry demonstrates a lack of faith in God (Matthew 6:33-34). However, there is a sense in which he was wrong as well. Jesus said, “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much” (Luke 16:10). Jesus’ point in this context had to do with the Pharisees who thought they were “big men,” and could be responsible for the “big things.”
The situation reminds me of the lyrics of the Jim Croce song “Working at the Car Wash Blues.” The singer (who was just paroled) thinks that he should be an “executive” because he was a “genius.” He opines that he should be sitting in an office chair and is an undiscovered Howard Hughes, but all he can do is work at the car wash, which gives him the blues. Having an overinflated sense of self will often create such a mental paradox!
Jesus was talking about that in Luke 16:10. His point is that when we think more of ourselves than we ought to think (Romans 12:3), then we won’t be responsible for what we have. If we want more responsibility, then we need to take care of our own “little” business first, but this requires humility. When we demonstrate that we are faithful in the little things, that proves that we can be faithful in more.
God bless you, and I love you.
Kevin Cauley