(Luke 16:10 NIV) "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".
This verse in Luke almost sounds like a proverb.
The verse tells us about integrity in life and what Jesus expects from us.
Integrity has become such an old-fashioned concept, and most people don’t even know what it means. Webster’s defines it as "firm adherence to a code of moral values". I prefer to look at integrity in simpler terms: Honesty in the little things -- even after dark.
I recently stopped at a restaurant and I saw the following scribble on the bathroom wall: "If you are tired of sin, read John 3:16." . . but right underneath someone had written the following: 'If you are not tired of sin call Motel Name 111-111.'
I know it is hard not to commit little sins in times like today! Often we are so entrenched in our daily lives and we make little sins out to be NO SINS.
I know people who cheat on their taxes, I know people who have cheated their insurance carrier, I know people who lied to their kids, I know people who gossip . . . all of them would say that these actions are just little sins.
But here is what our God tells us:
- Integrity protects us: (Psa. 25:21 NIV) May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you. There will be a time when your reputation will be needed among your brothers and sisters. Some shady deal/lie will follow you around and that is how Satan builds his foundation. Satan wants you to be isolated from those who follow Christ.
- Integrity upholds us: (Psa 41:12 NIV) In my integrity you uphold me and set me in your presence forever. If we are created in God’s image, we cannot compromise in our behavior. If we want to be in the presence of God, we need work on our purity and our transformation.
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Integrity guides us: (Prov 11:3 NIV) The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity. When you lie, even with the smallest lie you will have to cover with another lie . . . and another lie. Satan is now working in your life and he is able to destroy you and all that are coming in touch with your lie.Integrity (no small or big sins) make for light-hearted, no-hassle decisions. Integrity makes life simple . . . you don’t have to worry and cover your last sin . . .
Two people wrestled with their sins and asked a monk for help. The old monk agreed to help. "But first," he said, "you will have to tell me about your sins."
The first man said, "I have committed a terrible sin, a grievous sin, a great big sin." The second man said, "Oh, I have committed a number of small sins, none of them grievous or terribly significant."
The holy man pondered the matter for a while, then said, "Each of you must bring me a stone, representing each one of his wrongdoings." The two men then set out to carry out the monk's instructions.
After a while, the first man staggered back, carrying with him a huge boulder. It was so heavy he could hardly lift it. With a loud grunt he dropped it before the old man.
Then the second man returned carrying a bag of small pebbles, which he promptly laid at the monk's feet.
"Very good work," said the monk. "Now, each of you take your stones and put them back where you found them."
The first man staggered back to the place from which he had brought the huge boulder.
But the second man was unable to remember where he had found each of his little pebbles. So he returned to the wise old man and told him that he couldn't carry out his instruction. The monk replied, "You must realize, my son, that sins are like those stones. If a man commits a big sin, it lies heavily on his conscience. But if he truly repents, the burden is lifted. He is forgiven and the load is taken away. But if a man is constantly doing small things that are sinful, he is less likely to repent and more likely to remain a sinner, out of habit.
"Understand, therefore, that it is just as important to break the habit of committing little sins as it is to avoid committing a big sin."
Taken from The Orthodox Herald
When sin encounters you, it will rape you and destroy you. Sin often does not come in big steps toward you and grabs you, but it creeps upon you and finds your weaknesses and manipulates you and your relationship with God.
We currently study the book of Ephesians in our Adult Sunday School. Where is that city now? What happened to the great city of Ephesus? Often mentioned in the New Testament, it was one of the cultural and commercial centers of its day. Located at the mouth of the Cayster River, it was noted for its bustling harbors, its broad avenues, its gymnasiums, its baths, its huge amphitheater, and especially its magnificent Temple of Diana. What happened to bring about its gradual decline until its harbor was no longer crowded with ships and the city was no longer a flourishing metropolis?
Was it hit by plagues, destroyed by enemies, or demolished by earthquakes? No, silt was the reason for its downfall--silent and nonviolent silt. Over the years, fine sedimentary particles slowly filled up the harbor, separating the city from the economic life of the sea traders.
Little evil practices, little acts of disobedience may seem harmless. But let the silt of sin gradually accumulate, and we will find ourselves far from God. Life will become a spiritual ruin. In the book of Hebrews we are warned of the danger of "the deceitfulness of sin" (3:13)
(Heb 3:13 NIV) But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.
James said that the attractive pleasures of sin are really a mask covering death
(James 1:15 NIV) Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Oh no, you won’t die that moment. The book of Genesis brings us that story, where God promises that if one of them eats the fruit they will surely die. And they eat it, but they did not die immediately . . . but they died. Never had God intended for them to die. But they died.
We will die. But our spirit will not die and we will be responsible for the actions we take in this life. In fact there will be a judgment.
(John 12:48 NIV) There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.
Let us be reminded that sin is the will of a free act and that act is done because of our free choice. Sin is not given by God to us, because God is perfect. Sin is distributed by the evil power which is in this world. Sin is claiming evil circumstances for ourselves, because we as humans see an advantage of God’s divine will for us.
No different as when Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil.
When we sin, we circumvent God . . . or we try. We try to prove to God that we may reach a knowledge that is greater then God’s
And then we hide . . . just like Adam and Eve . . . we hide from God.
Job’s wife asked a most important question of us all: .(Job 2:9 NIV) His wife said to him, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!" Job never did deny God.
I want us to know that the sentence Job’s wife spoke hurts and it should hurt all of us. When we sin (as small as the sin may be) we allow ourselves to deny God and we curse God.
If we’re honest we’ll have to admit areas where we still need to find integrity before we can hold on to it.
Prayer: "Dear God, please confront me with every sin, weakness and unresolved character issue in my life, help me to submit myself to you and resist the devil, because I know he will flee from me. And give me the help I need to overcome these things so they won't hurt or destroy my life, or hurt any of my loved ones. Gratefully, in Jesus' name. Amen."
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