3 Small Things That Always Lead to BIG Promotion
Many of us dream of doing BIG things in a larger than life kind of way. We think about winning a major award, publishing a best-selling book, having a video go viral, discovering a cure for cancer, leaving a huge financial legacy or simply dominating your fantasy football league:)
I’m a fan of lofty ambitions. Leadership guru, Jim Collins, calls them “big hairy audacious goals”.
I regularly use my imagination to envision my preferred future.
I often think about what my “legacy contribution” will be towards my family and the world.
BUT life is rarely lived in the BIG moments.
Life is much more about managing the smaller moments. 
The Bible is filled with all kinds of leadership GOLD on this topic.
In Luke 16, Jesus is telling a story about a manager. Within the story and his commentary about this manager, He gives us three invaluable principles.
It’s easy to miss the three things He talks about because they don’t seem too BIG or amazingly glamorous. Yet, I GARAUNTEE that if you steward these 3 “small” things well, you will find promotion and increase chasing you down!
Luke 16:10-12 NLT 10 “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. 11 And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? 12 And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own?
Faithfulness brings FAVOR.
#1 Faithfulness in little things.
Someday soon I’ll write my first book, but first I need to cultivate consistency in my blog writing.
Someday I hope to be a fantastic grandparent, but first I need to be faithful parent.
In every single job I have ever had, I started out doing “little things”.
Before I became the lead pastor of our church, Anna and I were literally cleaning toilets and vacuuming the floors as volunteers for over a year. I had not idea or even desire to become the senior leader. But God had other plans and was preparing me when I didn’t even realize what was happening.
We’ve all had our fair share of pity parties and “death by boredom, this is beneath me” moments.
If we’ll remember that it’s doing the little things well that prepare, allow and qualify you for the BIG things, it may help add some hopeful endurance to your tank for the journey.
“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” -Mother Teresa
Small is still the new big.
#2 Faithfulness in finances.
The “true riches” of God’s Kingdom are not money. Don't get me wrong, money is a great tool and a good thing but not the ultimate thing.
I see the “true riches” as people, revelation, and divine opportunities. All of those things are FAR more valuable than worldly wealth.
BUT….if we are not passing the money test we don’t qualify for added responsibility with God’s most treasured possession, which has always been people.
God knows that money doesn’t change people; it simply magnifies who they already are.
Faithfulness in financial matters can’t be down played if we expect to find promotion.
#3 Faithfulness in what is not your own.
We all want our own “stuff”. Whether it be a car, job, position, you name it we’d like to not just borrow it, we’d like to have it.
Just like a parent wants to see their kids respect other people’s toys (or their parents ipad:), God is looking to see that we can care for, manage and multiply something that doesn’t even belong to us. God says that if we take care of what is another’s, we qualify to have our own…and then some!
The great news about promotion is that you have everything you already need right in front of you!!
Remember, small hinges turn LARGE doors.
"It’s the small things, often hidden in plain sight, that are the secrets to BIG promotion."
Join the conversation // Leave a comment
- Which of the three of these areas do you sense the Holy Spirit drawing your attention to?
- What kind of promotion have you experienced by stewarding "small" things?
- What "small" thing is in your life right now that you've been tempted to underestimate?
*photo credit: thoughtstranslated.com, Isbcstudents.wordpress.com