can be trusted with much.
New phases of life will, without a doubt, bring questions, insecurity, potential excitement, dreams and even fears of the future. We see others ahead of us in these phases of life and wonder if we will ever thrive like they do; we compare, worry and assume that it came easier to them than it will for us. We seem to rely heavily on the status of our own abilities to judge how well we will do in this phase.
Well my husband, Josh, and I have been celebrating the fact that we will soon be bringing new life into the world come January, and with this celebration comes all kinds of plaguing what if scenarios.
Having experienced significant loss in my life, sometimes my mind automatically assumes that the worst is going to happen (a great combination of thoughts for a first-time mom, right?). It's not the way I want to think, but sometimes it's my mind's way of self defense. I have to combat these thoughts with the promises and proven faithfulness of God all throughout my walk with him. I have to decide to trust God in all the small things—even the little 16-week, avocado-sized life that's growing as I write.
Trusting God in the small things also means allowing him to help me become a trustworthy person in the small things. We've all heard this verse in Luke 16:10:
Whoever can be trusted with very little can be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will be dishonest with much.So what does it mean to become trustworthy with little? For each individual there will be different aspects of life that shape this answer. But for me, it means being diligent in both the private life I lead at home and the public life I lead as a worship staff member at a church that God has allowed me to step into.
It means being diligent in my prayers and my own relationship with God. Being consistent in pursuing the knowledge of Jesus through his word. It means being a good stewart of my time, my resources, my schedule, and taking care of the things God has given me to care for. It means seeking wise counsel in complicated situations. It means being a supportive and loving wife to my husband, a reliable friend, and a person of good character. It means leading well in the ministry areas I have been asked to lead and doing so with a humble and grateful attitude. All of these things make up my life of worship to God, and all of these things are areas, big and small, that I can strive to be trustworthy in.
Am I perfect in any of these areas? No. I regrettably have to say that I am certainly not. Sometimes I fall asleep when I pray, or I plan my day poorly. Sometimes my prayers are more reactive than they are proactive. Sometimes I say things that I regret. Sometimes I miss a deadline or neglect some to-do items waiting to be touched. Sometimes I don't feel like cleaning up after dinner, or I choose to watch Netflix instead of cleaning a bathroom. Sometimes I avoid conversations that need to be had, or focus on the wrong things when I'm leading a team in worship. On my own, I do a lot of things wrong. But I do strive to be diligent with the life that God has given me and to invite him into all of these little areas.
Because even just that simple invitation to God is me acknowledging that I want and trust His help in my life; and frankly, it's an invitation that says, "I need you! Every hour!"
Inviting God into our daily circumstances helps us to place more trust in him and less in ourselves. If you don't know how to trust God with something, just start by asking him to be a part of that decision or that difficult conversation or that hardship you are experiencing.
Even the first act of inviting God is deciding to trust someone other than ourselves, and trusting God with the small things in our lives in turn helps us to become more trustworthy in those very areas.
So on this new journey, I know I won't be perfect. But I can start by being a trustworthy person both in front of a congregation, in my home, and especially in the eyes of my savior with the little details of my life.
Because Lord knows I'll need his help in order to be trusted with a child!
Thanks for reading,
Jamie
jrobison@b4church.org
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