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Luke 16:10 - Whoever Is Faithful In Little Things Will Be Faithful In Big Things.

Luke 16:10 (NLT) If you are faithful in 
little things, you will be faithful in large ones. 
But if you are dishonest in little things, you 
wont be honest with greater responsibilities.  

COMMENTARY PEARL

   I read about a study that a business 
group conducted on infidelity in the workplace. 
Not surprisingly, they concluded that 
extramarital affairs in the workplace ultimately led to 
breakdowns in other areas of life. 
   In other words, if people were being 
unfaithful to their spouses, they also would pad their 
business expenses and cut corners in other areas of 
their jobs. It makes sense, doesnt it? If 
someone is willing to take down one wall, then why 
not kick down other walls too? 
   Small things become big things. If 
youre willing to cheat on a test in school, then 
will you also lie on your rsum? And if 
youre willing to cheat in school and lie on your 
rsum, then in what other areas will you be willing 
to cheat? 
   Little compromises turn into big 
problems. Little things turn into big things. 
   We dont think about this sometimes. 
Well say, Its all right. This is just a 
minor infraction. But were not thinking 
about the repercussions yet. 
   In the Bible we find story after story of 
lifelong repercussions that came as a result of a 
single decision. Adam ate of the forbidden fruit, 
and it cost him paradise. Esau compromised for a 
single meal and lost his birthright. Samsons 
sexual compromises cost him his strength, his eyes, 
and ultimately his life. 
   Are there some small areas where youre 
making compromises now? 
   Deal with those, because the Lord is 
revealing them for your own good. Little compromises 
turn into big problems. Jesus said, If you are 
faithful in little things, you will be faithful in 
large ones. But if you are dishonest in little 
things, you wont be honest with greater 
responsibilities (Luke 16:10 NLT). 
   In a single moment in time, you can make 
a decision that affects your entire life. 
[Greg Laurie from Harvest Ministries; 
https://www.harvestdaily.com] 

COMMENTARY

   Its common today to hear people say, 
What you do in your private life is nobodys 
business. Well, that isnt really true. What you do 
in your private life - behind closed doors or 
out of view of other people - builds and reveals 
your true character. And God sees it just as 
clearly as the things you do in public. 
   In fact, the small, unseen things you do 
are the seeds to Gods public blessing on your 
life. You cannot compartmentalize your life and 
say, I have integrity in my public life, just 
not in my private life. I bet you could make 
a list right now of public figures that have 
tried to live this way, only to have their private 
indiscretions lead to public scandal and personal 
downfall. No matter what they say, any leader who is 
not faithful in small matters will not be 
faithful in large matters. 
   This principle is nothing new. Jesus 
said, If you have not been faithful with what 
belongs to someone else, who will give you what 
belongs to you? (Luke 16:12 GNT). 
   For centuries, everybody who learned a 
skill, trade, or vocation learned it through an 
apprenticeship. If you were going to be a mechanic, you 
apprenticed to another mechanic and served in that 
persons business before you started your own. As the 
apprentice, you had to be responsible with your 
masters business before you were entrusted with your 
own. 
   This principle of apprenticeship applies 
to every area of your life. It applies to how 
you handle other peoples money, how you 
handle other peoples possessions, and even how 
you handle other peoples ministry before God 
gives you your own. 
   Before God gave me my own ministry, I 
served as a youth pastor under another mans 
ministry. God was watching how I handled it; he was 
testing my integrity. I needed to prove my 
faithfulness in that ministry before God would allow me 
to lead the ministry of Saddleback Church. 
   If someone loans you a car, how well do 
you take care of it? If a family lets you stay 
in their house for vacation, do you treat it as 
well as you treat your own home? When no one is 
watching at your job, do you work diligently? 
   God is watching and testing your 
integrity. You show that you can be trusted with the 
big things by being faithful in the small 
things. [Daily Devotional by Rick Warren: 
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/] 

INSIGHT

   What is denial? It is the attitude that 
avoids looking realistically at issues and pretends 
that things are not the way they are. 
   Most Christians (myself included) are to 
varying degrees held together by denial. Deep down 
we sense that if we were to face the realities 
of life openly and honestly, we might not be 
able to cope, and so we pretend things are not 
what they are. 
   I know Christians who pretend that what 
they have in life satisfies more than it does, or 
pretend they haven't been hurt as badly as they 
have. They refuse to face and feel what is going 
on inside them, due to the strange belief that 
it is lack of faith on their part to admit to 
anything that is negative. 
   This faulty teaching - that we ought to 
ignore what is going on inside us instead of facing 
it and dealing with it - is responsible for 
more casualties in the Christian life than 
anything I know. A Christian psychologist says: "I am 
convinced that much of what we admire as spiritual 
maturity is a fragile adjustment to life based on the 
foundation of denial." I would agree. My own 
observation would lead me to say that I have found some 
non-Christians to be more open and honest in facing what is 
going on inside them than some Christians. 
   Is denial a wise plan for life? 
Absolutely not. The choice, then, is stark: either to 
deny and live comfortably or to face every 
painful issue - and go on to climb the heights with 
God. 
   Father, help me to see that I need never 
be afraid to face anything, for in You I have 
the resources to resolve all problems, not just 
skirt them. Show me how to blast denial right out 
of my life - once and for all. In Jesus' name. 
Amen. [Every Day With Jesus Bible with Selwyn 
Hughes devotional] 

CLOSING THOUGHT

There are few who realize the influence of 
the little things of life upon the development 
of character. Nothing with which we have to do 
is really small. The varied circumstances that 
we meet day by day are designed to test our 
faithfulness and to qualify us for greater trusts. {PP 
222-223} [Remnant SB] 

LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE


http://www.abible.com/devotions/2010/20100414-1105.html 

EXCELLENT VIDEO SERIES ON 28 REVELATIONS OF 
JESUS 

1st of 28: Divine Dining: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_7j1QIKqmY 
2nd of 28: Pictures of the Divine: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lNI-OQ7-eQ 
3rd of 28: A Dirty Bible: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMkPvBuuFd4 
4th of 28: Cared For: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztXyJVdcCds 
5th of 28: Saved: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX45kGRe1HI 
6th of 28: You Can Change: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xd0gkvK18fo 
7th of 28: Reprogramming Our Brains: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ov36f_RapXc 

YOUR COMMENTS

If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or 
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either 
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in 
hearing from you.  Thanks in advance and let's keep 
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred 
Gibbs FGGibbs@abible.com