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Faithfulness in Little Things, August 24
Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little,
have thou authority over ten cities.
Luke 19:17
.
If our active temperament gathers in a large amount of work that we have not
strength nor the grace of Christ to do understandingly and with order and exac-
titude, everything we undertake shows imperfection, and the work is constantly
marred. God is not glorified, however good the motive....
God would have us pay heed to His words. The carefully wrought service
in the sight of God is of value although easily overlooked by human eyes, yet
indispensable in this world where we are doing our work. God wants intelligent
workers, doing their work not hurriedly, but carefully, and thoroughly, always
preserving the humility of Jesus. Those who put thought and painstaking into
the higher duties should put care and thought into the smaller duties, showing
exactitude and diligence.
Oh, how much neglected work is done, how much leaving things at loose ends
because there is a constant desire to take on greater work. The work is slurred
over that relates to the service of God, because they pull so much work before
them that there is nothing done thoroughly. But all the work must bear the scrutiny
of the Judge of all the earth. The smaller duties connected with the service of
the Master assume importance because it is Christ’s service. Selfishness and
self-esteem should be guarded against as your bitterest enemy. But how easily
self finds opportunities to exhibit itself, and how Satan exults at the exhibitions,
and how sorrowful and ashamed are the angels of God of man’s foolishness. How
unlike Jesus Christ; in what contrast to the example He has given us in His own
life. How far removed from His requirements, to crucify self with the affections
and lusts....
What will be our feelings when we shall stand on the sea of glass? Shall
we look back on the hours of our impatience here? Shall we stand upon the
eternal hills of paradise and take in the events of our past life and see how many
unnecessary trials we had because we thought God was dependent upon us to
do everything? God help us to see our own littleness and God’s greatness. God
forbid that we should have exalted ideas of our own greatness, and exalt self.
Magnitude of experience is no measure of worth. God has a standard so unlike
human standards, and if we see God’s estimate of us, we would see value where we
supposed was littleness, and littleness where we supposed was greatness.—
Letter
48, August 24, 1886
, to “Dear Brethren Engaged in Labor in Nimes” [France].
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