Little Things
READ
There's a fascinating truth hidden in how character is formed: it's built in moments when no one is watching, in decisions that seem too small to matter, in circumstances that feel insignificant. Jesus understood this when He taught about faithfulness in little things. He knew that the person we become in private, in small moments, is the person we truly are.
Let’s take a moment to read Luke 16:10-12:
"Whoever is faithful in very little is also faithful in much, and whoever is dishonest in very little is also dishonest in much. So if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to someone else, who will give you what is your own?"
REFLECT
Think about water wearing away stone. It's not the dramatic rushing river that carves the Grand Canyon; it's the steady, persistent drop-by-drop process over time. Faithfulness works the same way. It's not built in the big, spotlight moments of life. It's formed in the countless small choices we make when we think nobody is looking—including God.
Jesus uses money as His example here, which is brilliant because money reveals our hearts like few other things do. How we handle the $5 bill in our wallet often reflects how we'd handle $5,000. If we're careless with small amounts, we'll likely be careless with larger ones. If we're generous with little, we'll probably be generous with much. If we're dishonest with a few dollars, we're revealing a character issue that won't magically disappear when larger amounts are involved.
But this principle extends far beyond finances. It applies to how we treat our commitments, our relationships, our work, and our walk with God. The person who can't be trusted to show up on time for small gatherings is revealing something about their trustworthiness for bigger responsibilities. The person who gossips about minor issues is showing their character when major secrets are involved.
Here's what's encouraging about this passage: faithfulness in little things is actually achievable. We might feel overwhelmed by big challenges or major life decisions, but we can be faithful with what's in front of us today. We can keep our word about small commitments. We can be honest in minor transactions. We can be kind in brief interactions. These aren't superhuman acts of spiritual discipline; they're ordinary choices that build extraordinary character.
Jesus makes a startling distinction between "unrighteous wealth" and "true riches." He's not saying money is evil, but He is saying there's something far more valuable at stake than material possessions. True riches include things like trust, integrity, spiritual authority, and deep relationships with God and others. The irony is that we often want these true riches without being faithful with the lesser things that develop the character needed to handle them.
Notice the progression Jesus describes: faithful in little leads to faithful in much, faithful with others' possessions leads to receiving your own. This isn't about earning God's favor through good behavior; it's about developing the character capacity to handle greater trust and responsibility. God doesn't withhold good things from us out of stinginess; He waits until our character is ready to handle them well.
The phrase "what belongs to someone else" is particularly convicting. Everything we have—our time, abilities, money, opportunities, even our lives—ultimately belongs to God. We're all stewards of someone else's property. How we handle this reality in small ways reveals whether we can be trusted with the spiritual inheritance God wants to give us.
This passage should bring both conviction and hope. Conviction because it reveals how the small compromises we justify are actually shaping our character in significant ways. Hope because it shows us that faithfulness is within reach, starting right where we are, with what we have today.
RESPOND
Take a moment to process what God might be leading you to do in light of what you read.
What "little things" in your life might you be treating as unimportant, but which are actually revealing and shaping your character?
How does knowing that everything you have belongs to God change your perspective on daily decisions about time, money, and resources?
What small area of unfaithfulness might be preventing you from experiencing the "true riches" God wants to entrust to you?
REST
Take a moment to rest in God’s presence and consider one thing you can take away from your time reading, then close your devotional experience by praying:
God, help me see that no moment is too small to matter to You, and no choice is insignificant in shaping my character. Make me faithful in the little things today—in my words, my commitments, and my stewardship of what You've entrusted to me. Prepare my heart to receive the true riches that come from a life of faithful trust in You. Amen.