Connect the Dots

When Jesus was telling the parable of the evil servant and the faithful servant in Luke 12, He concluded with this: “For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more” (vs. 48).

I know this principle can be applied in multiple ways, which is the whole idea. Jesus’ teaching is always relevant, and the Holy Spirit opens our eyes so we can connect the dots between Jesus’ teaching and our own lives. We have all been given much, and so, connecting those dots, much will be required of us. We are called to be good stewards of all that has been given to us.

But there’s also another principle. In Luke 19, Jesus is telling the parable of the talents. “And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities” (vs. 17). If we are faithful over what we have been given, God will give us more. As my son once said, baskets of fruit are heavy. It takes strength to carry them, especially when God keeps heaping more and more in our baskets. Fruit is very, very good! But it’s heavy!

So what have you been given? Do you have little responsibility? God will ask for an accounting. Steward it well. Be faithful. He will give you more. Do you have much? Then don’t be surprised that you have many duties. Steward them well. Do you have a house full of children? Then you are blessed, and much is required of you. Remember this when you are up to your elbows in dishes and laundry and a hundred other things. Blessings come with duties, and God is paying attention to how we are discharging those duties. He will ask for an accounting.

What has God given you? Take an inventory. Look at your blessings. What duties come with those blessings? How are you doing with those duties? Are you being faithful? God will give you more, so roll up your sleeves. Do you wish you had more? Then be faithful with all you’ve been given so far.

My daughter made a comment once about her time in college when studying for finals seemed like the most important thing in the world. She stewarded those duties well, but now she looks back on it and laughs that now she is playing with real money. Nevertheless, faithfulness in those duties is what equipped her for taking on the house full of duties she has now.

This principle is true no matter what stage of life. A college student must steward her studies. A married woman must steward her opportunities to be a help to her husband.  A mother sees the faces of her blessings while she stewards them. As a very blessed grandmother of fifteen (soon to be sixteen), I can sometimes feel daunted by the sheer volume of hungry kids, but “much is required.” That’s a lot of birthdays and a lot of Christmas stockings and a lot of other things. But as we connect the requirements to the blessings, the labor is sweetened. We can say by faith, “Bring it on!”

God loves to bless us and He always gives us the strength to do what He commands. He never expects us to fulfill these obligations on our own. Blessings really are blessings, but I doubt they would be so without the attached duties.

Connect the dots. See your duties as your faithful response to a loving Heavenly Father who has loaded you with blessings and given you the privilege of stewardship. And when you get tired, remember the blessings, and remind yourself that much is required of the blessed.