FEBRUARY 20, 1 Corinthians 4:2

Rex sat in the living room and pouted while his little sister played in the hall with her new kitten. “If Lisa can have a kitten, I don’t see why I can’t have a puppy!” he muttered angrily.

“Rex,” said Dad when he saw his son’s unhappy face and heard his complaints, “you don’t have any excuse for acting the way you do. You had the same chance to have a puppy as Lisa did to have a kitten. If you had taken good care of your goldfish, we’d have allowed you to get a puppy. Instead of caring for the fish, you neither cleaned its bowl nor fed it. Lisa had to take over and do your work as well as hers.”

“But I don’t like goldfish anymore!” wailed Rex.

“You didn’t have to like the fish,” said Dad, “but after you bought it, you have to take good care of it. If we can’t trust you to take care of something small, how can we expect you to care for something bigger and more complicated-like a dog?” Dad paused, then added, “You know, Rex, it’s a good thing to remember that God often works in this way, too.”

“What do you mean?” asked Rex. “Are you saying I shouldn’t ask Him for a puppy?”

“No,” replied Dad, “but I’m saying that God usually trusts His children with small tasks before giving them bigger things to do. I’ve known people who had dreams of doing great things for God, but they lacked the discipline to follow through on things that seem small-like doing everyday tasks faithfully and cheerfully.” Dad squeezed Rex’s shoulder, and added, “Doing well in small things - even jobs like caring for a goldfish - helps us prepare for bigger tasks God might give us.”

Rex thought about his father’s words. “Dad?” he said after a moment. “Can I have my goldfish back?” Dad smiled. “I suppose we could give it another try,” he agreed.

Thought: Do you do your best in small tasks that are given to you? Do you do a good job with your chores? With your schoolwork? With piano practice or other responsibilities?

Prayer: Help me Heavenly Father to be faithful in small things so that I may shoulder bigger responsibilities as I mature. As I grow older, may I learn to be more and more responsible and to help out at home and in school. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.