I remember coming out of high school and working a summer job at Little Caesar's pizza. I was a delivery driver, cruising around town in my 6000-lb 1986 Jeep Grand Wagoneer (with wood paneling, I might add, and a comfortable seating capacity of 14 teenagers. No wonder it was called the War Wagon).
It was a job that I didn't particularly like. Most of us who are adults at some point have had entry-level jobs that either bored us to tears or drove us crazy. We couldn't wait to get out of those jobs and move on to more exciting jobs with more responsibility and more pay.
I was reading Jesus' teaching in Luke 19:12-26 about the king who gave a minas (roughly equivalent to a few dollars) to each servant and went away on a journey. Now, a few bucks isn't going to do much for anyone, and no doubt some of the servants felt slighted. Some probably didn't think much of it. They were probably like me working for Little Caesars- giving a half-hearted effort until the REAL job opened up.
Others, however, took the few bucks and put it to work, earning more. When the king returns, one servant brought the minas back, along with ten more. The king told him, "Well done! You get a promotion. I'm making you the leader over ten cities."
At that point, I imagine that the rest of the servants' jaws dropped. It would be like one of the delivery drivers at Little Caesar's being promoted to owner of ten stores simply for getting the pizza to the customers on time.
As I reflected on this passage of Scripture, I realized that we serve a God who tests us in the small things before He blesses us with more. Your attitude towards what seems to be stupid, pointless tasks could be the test of whether or not God blesses you with abundance.
One of my favorite preachers is Louie Giglio. He told a story about when he was in college. His non-glamorous job was copy boy at the CDC in Atlanta. Not an exciting job by a long stretch. However, he determined that he was going to be the best copy boy in the history of the CDC, and when he left, they had to hire two people to do the job that he did. That became a lifelong goal of mine- to work so hard that when I left, the organization would need to hire two people to do what I had done.
God could be testing you right now. Are you being faithful with what seems like nothing? Or are you looking past what is right in front of you hoping for bigger things? Your handling of the insignificant, mundane tasks is going to determine your handling of much bigger things. Your treatment of insignificant, mundane people will determine your handling of people who are truly important.
Sometimes the Christian life isn't fun. Just remember that we serve a God who says that he or she who can be trusted with little can also be trusted with much. Unfortunately, we serve a God who also says that he or she who cannot be trusted with little cannot be trusted with much either. Maybe the next step in your life is to start being faithful with the little you DO have. When that happens, you can be assured that God will give you plenty more.
It was a job that I didn't particularly like. Most of us who are adults at some point have had entry-level jobs that either bored us to tears or drove us crazy. We couldn't wait to get out of those jobs and move on to more exciting jobs with more responsibility and more pay.
I was reading Jesus' teaching in Luke 19:12-26 about the king who gave a minas (roughly equivalent to a few dollars) to each servant and went away on a journey. Now, a few bucks isn't going to do much for anyone, and no doubt some of the servants felt slighted. Some probably didn't think much of it. They were probably like me working for Little Caesars- giving a half-hearted effort until the REAL job opened up.
Others, however, took the few bucks and put it to work, earning more. When the king returns, one servant brought the minas back, along with ten more. The king told him, "Well done! You get a promotion. I'm making you the leader over ten cities."
At that point, I imagine that the rest of the servants' jaws dropped. It would be like one of the delivery drivers at Little Caesar's being promoted to owner of ten stores simply for getting the pizza to the customers on time.
As I reflected on this passage of Scripture, I realized that we serve a God who tests us in the small things before He blesses us with more. Your attitude towards what seems to be stupid, pointless tasks could be the test of whether or not God blesses you with abundance.
One of my favorite preachers is Louie Giglio. He told a story about when he was in college. His non-glamorous job was copy boy at the CDC in Atlanta. Not an exciting job by a long stretch. However, he determined that he was going to be the best copy boy in the history of the CDC, and when he left, they had to hire two people to do the job that he did. That became a lifelong goal of mine- to work so hard that when I left, the organization would need to hire two people to do what I had done.
God could be testing you right now. Are you being faithful with what seems like nothing? Or are you looking past what is right in front of you hoping for bigger things? Your handling of the insignificant, mundane tasks is going to determine your handling of much bigger things. Your treatment of insignificant, mundane people will determine your handling of people who are truly important.
Sometimes the Christian life isn't fun. Just remember that we serve a God who says that he or she who can be trusted with little can also be trusted with much. Unfortunately, we serve a God who also says that he or she who cannot be trusted with little cannot be trusted with much either. Maybe the next step in your life is to start being faithful with the little you DO have. When that happens, you can be assured that God will give you plenty more.
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