Admiral William McRaven of the United States navy wrote a book, “MAKE YOUR BED…..little things that can change your life and maybe the world.” The book contains ten life lessons learnt from his navy training days with the elite SEAL Teams. He writes, “Make your bed. If you accomplish the first task of the day well, then the rest of the day has a better chance of going well. Do the little things right!” Interestingly, Jesus emphasised this same principle in His teaching. “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

On another occasion Jesus told a parable of a master who entrusted his wealth to three servants while he went on a journey. In his absence, two of the servants multiplied the wealth entrusted to them, to which the master said on his return, “You have been faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things.” Matthew 25:21,23.

This lesson that says, If you can’t do the little things right, you won’t be able to do the big things right,” has been one of the most important lessons I have learnt in leadership emergence in the churches where I have pastored. For a leader who has competence without character can be a very dangerous person to be given a responsible role.
Mother Theresa, who built her ministry on doing small things with great love said, “Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies. Nothing is small for our good God, for He is great and we are small. That is why He lowers Himself and cares to do small things, in order to offer us an opportunity to show Him our love.”

The church that is characterised by doing small things with great love is a contagious church that cannot help but attract a world hungering for such a community. It was the Romans who were converted to Christianity by observing the way Christians related to one another: “See how these Christians love one another.”

The missionary Hudson Taylor said, “A little thing is a little thing, but faithfulness in little things is a great thing.” His faithfulness in little things continually reminded him of God’s faithfulness particularly in the midst of difficult circumstances.

A great example of a person who was faithful in the little things was Joseph who was sold as a slave by his own brothers, was falsely accused and imprisoned, and then forgotten by the fellow prisoners that he helped. Yet through every stage, Joseph remained faithful. In Potiphar’s house he served with excellence and integrity. In prison he served the warden and cared for the other prisoners. And then, in a single moment, after interpreting a dream for Pharoah, he was made Prime Minister of Egypt, because God saw he was faithful in the little things. Joseph’s story reminds us that his role was to live with faithfulness and integrity of character and to trust God for his unfolding future. This was Joseph’s God who was using every situation to prepare him for a future of great responsibility.

“Joseph’s story reminds us that God sees every act of faithfulness. You don’t have to strive to be seen or promoted. Just be faithful right where you are. Show up with integrity. Serve with joy. Trust God with the timing. Because in God’s Kingdom, the path to greater things begins with the little things. Joseph went from prisoner to prime minister not because he schemed or self-promoted, but because he was faithful in little things.” Mark Cole

I have found my role as a pastor of a church is to partner with God in His “faithfulness in little things” promotional program.
Consequently, I need to…..

• pray that the culture of my church might be characterised by people of faithfulness, servanthood, integrity and love.
• observe people who have a heart for people and are caring for those who are alone or have special needs.
• observe those who are being faithful and fruitful where they are now and discerning how they might be ready to go to a new level of responsibility.
• discern people’s growth in their spiritual giftedness so that as they grow in their area of responsibility, they will be round pegs in round holes.
• conduct Equipping The Saints courses that will contribute to the development and growth of the people in my church.
• understand that we each have an audience of one, our God, who is observing those who are being faithful in little things (when no one else is watching) and entrusting them with greater things.

Admiral William McRaven was on to something quite profound when he said, “Make your bed. If you accomplish the first task of the day well, then the rest of the day has a better chance of going well. And it just might be the beginning of changing your life and maybe even your world.”  Well….did you make your bed today?