BIBLE PASSAGE:
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much,
and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”
(Luke 16:10)
MEDITATION:
Would you say the world we live in today is mostly honest, or mostly
dishonest? Do we live in a society where most people can be trusted,
or most cannot be trusted? What about your own life? Are you honest
and trustworthy, or are there times when you are neither?
Honesty is defined as:
Uprightness and fairness; truthfulness, sincerity,
or frankness; freedom from deceit or fraud.
Being honest covers a lot of areas. It is more than not telling lies, it includes
fairness and sincerity. It also includes being frank (or Jim, or Bill, etc.). On
a serious note, as believers we need to temper frankness with love, concern
and consideration of others. It doesn’t mean we fail to be truthful, it just
means that we choose our words carefully.
When being frank with others, we can lift them up or tear them down
depending on how we present the truth. There’s an old example of when
a wife asks her husband,
“Does this dress make me look too fat?”
A good answer would not be,
“Well, not too fat”.
An answer tempered with love would me something more like,
“You look good to me no matter what you wear”.
Trustworthy is defined as:
Deserving of trust or confidence; dependable; reliable.
The first thing we notice is
‘deserving of trust’.
“Deserving of trust” means that we have created a reputation of being
trustworthy. Others know from our ‘track record’ that we are reliable
and dependable. If we make a promise, others know that we will fulfill
it (unless we have some extenuating circumstances such as sickness or
an emergency situation). People who know us, know that if they give
us a responsibility, we will fulfill it to the best of our ability. They also
know who is not dependable.
A person who is honest and trustworthy just sounds like the kind of person
you would like to have in your inner circle of friends, doesn’t it? You know
that when you want a straightforward answer, this is the type of person you
can depend on.
ACTION:
Now, how is your relationship with the Lord? Does He consider you as
someone who is honest and trustworthy? Can He depend on you to fulfill
whatever responsibility He gives you? Would you like to evaluate your
dependability in God’s eyes? Read Matthew 25:14-30. When you read
these verses, you can see how those who are dependable are rewarded,
and how the non-dependable miss out on any rewards. Also, notice how
each one was given ‘according to their ability’. God knows what we are
capable of achieving and He equips us ‘accordingly’.
God has given His children at least one spiritual gift (maybe more) and He
expects them to be dependable in using them for His glory. Some gifted
people fail to enjoy their rewards because they are focused on doing things
that will get praise from men. Some miss out when they fail to use their gift
because they feel it will not be noticed by others. What God expects, is that
we dedicate completely all of our talents and gifts to Him.
How dependable are you in the eyes of God? Have you identified your
spiritual gift? Are you using the gift He gave you to bring Him praise
which, in turn, means blessings for you? Are you more focused on the
praise of men than you are on pleasing God?
Do you try to get the attention and praise from others, or are you more
concerned with obeying God and using the gift (or gifts) He has given
you? If you feel that God is blessing others more than He blesses you,
it could be because they are using His gift to them, but you are not.
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, show me the gift You have given me, and help
me to use it to glorify You and point others toward Jesus, rather
than being concerned about the praise of men. I want to be yielded
completely to You and guided by Your desires for me, rather than
seeking to please my selfish desires. I realize that being guided by
You will probably mean doing some things that are uncomfortable
for me, and I may lack the confidence I need to pursue them with
enthusiasm. But I know that You would not give me anything to do
without equipping me to do them. Thank You for Your presence and
for giving me the assurance I need to obediently do what You have
called me to do. Give me a strong desire to please You over pleasing
man. Help me realize that when I please You, I will also please others.
Pleasing You gives me a concerned heart for the needs of all the people
around me. When You bless me for being obedient, dependable, active
and trustworthy, remind me to thank You for any rewards You might
give me.”
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