Encountering Mary's Motherhood this Advent
Being Trustworthy in All the Small Ways
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Today we hear the lesson of being trustworthy. If you aren’t trustworthy with small things, God won’t trust you with larger things.
Do the small things well, use your gifts wisely, and follow God’s calls day in and day out, and over time, you’re given more and more responsibility. It may take years, but over time, you earn God’s trust.
But it all starts with the small things. We must master faithfulness in all the little things. We must prove ourselves to be good stewards of the gifts He gives us.
What are the little things? They are the little tasks each day that seem meaningless, being present to others, doing what’s right in front of you, not taking shortcuts, using our time well and not wastefully, taking active responsibility, making the right decisions and judgment calls, being willing to raise your hand to help, learning from mistakes, and doing all of this in a virtuous, God-centered way. It’s about being a faithful worker, leader, wife, husband, child, parent, and so on in all of your roles.
I think this is a hard truth for many of us. We want advancement and rewards without doing all the small things well. We want the riches without the work to get them and the stewardship that goes along with them. We want power and authority without proving that we can wisely listen to God’s leading.
My career has definitely been a steady growth from small to large responsibilities, and of learning how to steward gifts in the way God desires. I certainly see it as God’s progressive call to more. It was by no means a fast and easy path.
But more often, we see people leaving their jobs for the ‘fast path’ to more power, authority, and responsibility without learning those lessons that are cultivated by being faithful in the small things. I think often that leads to a focus on “mammon” vs. God, which we hear at the end of the Gospel.
So consider your trustworthiness today. Are you being trustworthy in all the small ways? Are you a faithful steward in the places God has put you? If so, get ready for more!
About the Author
Katie Zalany lives in Cleveland Ohio. She is a Third Order Secular Franciscan (OFS), spiritual director, benefits/wellness leader, and certified health and life coach. She volunteers with St. Vincent de Paul Society serving the poor, is an active mentor to many individuals, and a prolific writer. Her writing interests and focus areas include spiritual development, reflections on the Gospel life, Franciscian spirituality, prayer, and integration of faith and work/daily living. She is the published author of Called to Corporate: Lessons of Growing in Faith and Holiness from the Corporate Cubicle.
