Faithful in Little, Faithful in Much - Vestry Devotional: May

 “Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much, and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. - Luke 16:10

As a child, I begged my parents to let me have a dog. I promised to feed it and to walk it day or night, rain or shine. Hoping to test my readiness, my parents started me off small, with a goldfish named Fluffy. Let’s say that it would be a few years before we got a dog. 

True Stewardship begins when we recognize that even the smallest decisions can have a tremendous impact on our lives and the lives of others. Founding Father Benjamin Franklin produced a longer version of a proverb written by George Herbert, exemplifying this point. 

“For the want of a nail, the shoe was lost,

For the want of a shoe, the horse was lost,

For the want of a horse, the rider was lost,

For the want of a rider, the battle was lost,

For the want of a battle, the kingdom was lost,

And all for the want of a horseshoe-nail.”

As a vestry, we make decisions whose far-reaching consequences may not be felt in our lifetime. While we serve as stewards of property, money, and investments, the vestry also decides which ministries receive support as well as how to walk with people in their Christian walk. Jesus has placed his trust in us as leaders of the Church to be faithful in the little things so that we can grow to be faithful in greater things. 

What are the “small” vestry decisions that can have far-reaching consequences? How can we exercise stewardship in every decision we make?