#136 - Faithful with Little {Reflections}

The fastest character test isn’t a big spotlight moment, it’s what we do with the small responsibilities nobody notices. We wrestle with a sharp line from Jesus in the Gospel of Luke: if you can be trusted with very little, you can be trusted with a lot and if you’re dishonest with a little, it will show up later in bigger ways too. That one idea reframes how we think about trustworthiness, leadership, promotions, and even the quiet grind of everyday work.

We also sit with the story of David: anointed as king, then immediately sent back to the fields. It’s funny, humbling, and deeply practical. Sometimes the “go back to the sheep” season is exactly where God builds the muscles you’ll need later. Instead of chasing titles, we talk about learning to love responsibility, serving people well, and doing the job with care even when it feels like a small corner of the world.

Along the way, we share a real workplace story about someone who wanted the higher role right away and couldn’t stay faithful when the assignment wasn’t “sexy.” That opens up a needed ego check for all of us: do we crave praise, or do we actually love the work? Whether you’re in church leadership, a corporate job, a creative field, or just trying to be consistent at home, the takeaway is simple and hard: show up, treat it like craft, resist resentment, and let the results be what they will be.

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Transcript

David’s Field Training For Leadership

When The Promotion Is Not Available

Doing Good Work Without Applause

Loving The Assignment You Have

Resentment, Results, And Letting Go

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SPEAKER_00 0:16

Hey, what is up everybody? This is Ryan. Welcome to our Reflections podcast. Hey, in Luke's gospel, Jesus says this profoundly true thing. I love it. And I love it because I've found it to be true, not just in like religious settings, but it's true, it's like most things Jesus says. It's like a truly universal truth, I would say. And here's what he says, and I'll tell you kind of where I where I see it playing up. But Jesus says in Luke's gospel, he's talking, he says, Hey, whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with a lot. And those who can uh those who are dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with a lot. It's like, yeah, if you want to know if someone's trustworthy, just give them a little bit and see how they handle it. My my dad, I used to always say, hey, be leery of anybody, you know, that's like seeking promotion because they want to be in charge, because they want power, they want leadership. Instead, look for those who just want responsibility. They want to help things serve, you know, they want to do stuff, like promote them because you'll know they're not for the right reasons. And and I think in ministry, but in life in general, I just have seen you know, to be true, if if you want to be kind of given a lot, be faithful with whatever small thing you're given. So it goes the other way around as well. I love David in the in the story about David in the Old Testament. David is sort of dragged in from the fields amongst his brothers, and they're looking for the next anointed king of Israel, and uh, and they're like, oh, it's that guy. And they point to David, he's just small, he's the youngest brother, he's out there shepherding, he's not really a big deal. And the family's like, no, no, it can't be him, it's gonna be the other brothers, you know, who are stronger, tougher, more kingly material. And um, the prophet's like, no, no, it's him. And then they anoint David King, and then they send him back out into the field, which is awesome. All right, all right, King, go back out there and shepherd some more, dude. Uh, it's like if you had any delusions of grandeur, let me fix that for you. Go back out in the field. And I don't know, I'm not trying to moralize the Old Testament. Maybe I am, I apologize, but I love that he has to go back out there and hang out with the sheep and other flocks while he's learning how to be a king. That's how he learns how to be a king. And that reminds me when I uh I had this job one time, and there was this person that came on staff and wanted to be hired for this a pretty high position, but that position wasn't open. And so we hired this person for a lower position, but I knew a full well, this person's great. If they just hang on, that other higher position will open up, and this person will be fine. It'll just take some time. And I told this person, I go, hey, this role is is what all we have right now. But if you just if you just hang in there, plug in there, pour yourself into this, treat it like it's your own laboratory, do your thing there. Uh when maybe no one's watching, it wasn't like a very sexy job. It wasn't like a very not a lot of high accolades or not a lot of people watching either. I mean, I was watching, but um, but like, yeah, it's actually kind of perfect. So I'll see how this person does. And if they can just do their thing there when nobody's watching, just for the love of the job or to serve people, then I I'll know. And it wasn't really a test, I just we really couldn't hire them for the other role. But I'm like, oh, we'll see how they do. Because I got this, I had this sense like, oh, they really are a bit bummed that they can't have this higher role. So we hired this person, and man, they were discouraged from day one. And I kept telling them, I get it, I understand, but just hang in there and do your thing on this in this little corner of the world. And I promise you, and I don't know if it was God ordained or not, I have no idea, but this person just couldn't do it. They wanted to be praised, they wanted to be noticed, they wanted to have accolades, and they and I'm like, just do your thing though. I'm telling you, just do your thing, quiet down and do your thing over there, and be faithful with the small thing you've been given. And I'm pro I promise you, it'll come to fruition that you'll be able to. And this person just couldn't do it. And uh they left staff a couple years later and sort of resentful. And I think that's probably partly why. And then it reminded me that, and I'm careful here because I know you're never supposed to be the hero of your own story, but I just remember the first time, like I love preaching, I love it. I love doing this kind of thing, talking to you guys. And, you know, there's always like a check in my own spirit. Like, am I doing this for ego? Do I like the accolades, or do I do it for the love of just communications and talking about the Bible or God or whatever? And that's always good to ask that question. But I remember the first, I was in, I was in, uh, I wasn't even in seminary, I was in undergrad studying Christian ministries, and this woman who was my prof uh professor, she was like, hey, there's a church looking for a preacher in a month from now. Would any of you want to do it? And I'm like, I will. Like I raised my hand and she's like, it's this little tiny town or little tiny church called Snake River Baptist, Snake River Baptist Church. It's up near Becker, Minnesota. Like maybe 80 people, they'll pay you$50. I'm like, I don't care, I will do it. And I just wanted to preach. I loved preaching. And I'm like, I don't care if it's five people, 20, and I really genuinely believe I didn't care. 80 people, I don't care if it's Snake River Baptist or, you know, uh, you know, Target Field with a military, I don't care. I just want to get up and talk about Jesus, you know, and be with people. So I got paid 50 bucks, and my buddy Justin was my, he was a guitar player, a really great guitar player. I go, hey, I'll pay you half of this if you come and lead worship with me on that Sunday morning. He's like, I'll do it. So, and he's actually a very famous musician now, and uh, we both are like, let's just do it. So it barely covered our gas money to drive out to Snake River back to the church, and we were there, and uh, it was a beautiful little church, little community, 75, 80 people, and we just did our thing, and I loved it. And I loved it because folks showed up. We had great conversation, we talked about uh the cross, and uh I didn't care that there was only 80 or so people there. And I remember when I first got my job here at Central, my first job here at Central was not lead pastor, it wasn't an associate pastor, I was the middle school director of youth ministry, and which means like I was in charge of middle school kids, and uh I'm just telling you, I did not care. I'm like, I love talking with middle school kids, being around people, talking about Jesus, and they're gonna pay me. I'm I'm in, let's do this, you know. And most folks didn't really see what I was doing. No one really, I don't know. I got a couple of thank you cards here and there from parents, but like nobody really cared as long as nobody died or no one, you know. And uh, and I loved it. We had a little team of leaders that was just thriving and the thing grew, and I just had a lot of fun. And I I just feel like, again, at the risk of sounding like I'm like, you know, tooting my own horn here, I just feel like God really honored those times where I'm I because to this day, I'm just telling you, on a Sunday morning, you know, our church is not massive, but it's bigger than average, and we have hundreds of people to come through here just at Easter with four gatherings and you know over a thousand people, whatever. And I like preaching to that many people, it's a lot of fun. But man, I'll tell you what, um, every Wednesday I meet with these five uh 20-year-old dudes, and we just sit around and talk about the Bible. And I love that just as much. And uh, I don't know, I just reminded like, hey, today, whatever you're doing, uh give it your best, you know? Work it like it's a craft and show up and give it your best effort and treat everything like it's the thing, you know what I mean? And be faithful in the small things. And if if you're sent back out into the fields to shepherd, do that. And God sees you and somebody will see you. I'm not saying let people take advantage of you. I'm not saying that, but I'm saying, like, if you love it, do the thing, you know? Um and be faithful. And then people will know if you can be faithful in the bigger things and try to refrain or resist from being resentful. If the thing is small and nobody shows up, or you got invited to do the thing, and there was only eight people that came. Who cares? Do it like it was a million people, it doesn't matter. Do your thing, and then of course the results are always whatever they'll be. Let them be whatever they'll be. You can't control that anyway. So today I just want to let those words of Jesus echo in your ears or even my own kinds of stories, and just be faithful in the small things because God sees it, and then he'll know if you can be faithful in bigger things. And and uh yeah, do that, do your thing, and have fun. All right, love you guys. Peace. Hey, if you enjoy this show, I'd love to have you share it with some friends. And don't forget you are always welcome to join us in person at Central in Elk River at 8 30, which is our liturgical gathering, or at 10 o'clock, our modern gathering. Or you can check us out online at clcelkriver.org. Peace.