When confronted by lots of figures in a treasurer’s report, what do I look
for? The bottom line. When reading an article or opinion piece that may
cover lots of ground, what do I look for? The key point-or bottom line.
What is the bottom line, I wonder, in the way we live for Christ?
Today we are exploring our calling, and over these six weeks we want to step
into the future that God has for us, and which will open out in the next two
years. What is the bottom line for us?
Being faithful. Being faithful to Christ and His call on our lives. Jesus
said, “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).
Or in the parable of the talents, the servant is told “well done, good and
faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you
in charge of many things” (Matthew 25:21).
Faithfulness is not a highly valued character trait in today’s world.
Today’s world promotes adaptability and choices made according to
convenience or preference, rather than according to commitment. Yet
faithfulness is highly valued by God. For He is faithful-to His covenant and
His people.
Hudson Taylor, a remarkable missionary to China in the 19th century, taught
that “a little thing is a little thing, but faithfulness in a little thing
is a big thing”. Mother Teresa said, “I don’t do big things. I do small
things with big love.”
In this season at St Luke’s I am inviting you to dream. What is God’s call
on your life at this moment? What bigger thing might He be asking of us,
individually and together, at this time?
These are vital questions which need to be asked, yet they do not shield us
nor divert us from our daily call-to be faithful, in the little things. Big
things are really just lots of little things put together!
In what ways are you serving God? How does this play out for you at home, at
work, down the street, or at church?
Whatever it is, let us be faithful to God, even as He is faithful to us.
In the little things.
That’s the bottom line.