A Man Shall Be Faithful In What Is Least

1. Although the thing is small, the function is not small

We tend to think that the little things don't matter, that it doesn't matter whether we do it or not. There are more than 20,000 days in a person's life. Compared with 20000 days,one day is a small thing, and wasting it is of no importance. As per our understanding, small things also mean small functions. Because of our cognitive bias of small things, we are not easy to value small things. But in fact, according to the Bible, small things are not small. Look at James 3:3-6. The bridle, the rudder, and the tongue are small, but their function is not small. The bridle is small enough to fit in a horse's mouth, but it can move a tall, fierce horse. The rudder is small, but it guides the boat. The tongue is small, but it can foul the whole body. It's like saying that the smallest fire can light the biggest forest. You can't ignore a fire because it's small. Eventually it gets bigger and bigger and bigger than you can control.

If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn their whole body.

Behold, the ships, though they be so great and driven by great winds, turn with a very small rudder according to the will of the pilot.

Even so the tongue is a small part of the body, yet it makes great boasts. Behold, the smallest fire ignites the greatest forest.

The tongue is a fire, a world of sin among our members. It defiles the whole body and sets on fire the wheels of life. It is set on fire from hell.

2. God judge a man is faithful or not by seeing if he is faithful in small things.

Look at Luke 19:15-17. How a master judges a man is faithful? He judges in the smallest things, because a man does not take a small mina for granted. Although the master only gave him a small mina, he cherished it very much, used it prudently, and finally earned ten minas for the master. And the master said that the servant was a good servant who could get power from master to be over ten cities since he had been faithful in a very small thing. He who earns five pounds will rule five cities. The master also distributed the task according to the ability of the people, not to govern as much as they want as long as they are willing to do it.

When he had returned from taking possession of the kingdom, he ordered his servants who had received the money to be called to find out how much they had earned from their trade.

The first came up and said, 'Lord, your mina has earned ten minas. '

And he said unto him, Well done, good servant, because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. '

If a man is faithful in the least, he will be faithful also in the great. He that is unjust in the least is unjust in the great.

3. Why should we be faithful in small things?

Small things can help people develop faith in God

When people are doing a small thing, the sense of frustration is relatively weak or even no. If we immediately do a big thing, people will be under great pressure, people will feel very frustrated, and even hit down immediately. It's like David facing Goliath. David would have been afraid of Goliath if he hadn't been herding sheep before. Why was David not afraid? Because David said, look at 1 Sam 17:34-37. Why was David not afraid? The pastoral experience was a small thing for David's whole life, but it was through such small things that David cultivated his trust in God. Later, David would not be afraid to meet Goliath, and he would also know how to trust God.

And David said unto Saul, Thy servant was tending his father's sheep: and there came a lion, and there came a bear, and took a lamb from the flock.

So I pursued him, and smote him, and delivered the lamb out of his mouth. When it attacked me, I grabbed it by the beard and beat it to death.

Your servant killed the lion and the bear, and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like them when he has defied the armies of the living God."

David said, "The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." Then Saul said to David, "Go! The Lord will be with you."

4. Small things can show a person's true faith

People will have the situation of aiming high, I was born to do big things, will not care about small things, think small thing does not matter. Just like Marshal Neiman, why did the prophet just ask him to do a little thing? Why did the prophet not ask him to do something great? It was not because Naaman was not strong enough to do something great but tells us that a person who trust God is real in his acting which will not neglect the small thing, this is the real faith.If we really believe in the Lord, we will not stop giving a cup of water to a brother because he is the least. We will not stop doing it because this good action is a very small one. Otherwise, the foundation of such faith is not made in Jesus, but on the level of the things.

Like Marshal Neiman, why did the prophet just tell him to do a little thing? Why did the prophet not ask him to do something great? It was not because Naaman was not strong enough to do something great. It's really worth us thinking about it.

5. Small things can reflect a person's hope

Most of the time, when we do a small thing,we cannot see the effect immediately or get feedback immediately because it is too small, so we have no power to do it, or we have no power to persist in doing it, because we like the visible, and we will hesitate for the invisible effect. Therefore, to do a small thing, we need to do it with patience and hope. We should not look down on it because it is small. We should not look at the small things only at the present moment, but at the future and the long term. Just like a student will not stop doing it just because he sees a small question in front of him. What he sees is the college entrance examination and the future, and what he sees is the hope for the future. In fact, when we preach the Gospel and care for our brothers and sisters, we also care for the needs of people in small concrete things and help them to trust God in all things. It does not mean that they trust God only in big things, but that they trust God in all things.