The value of something to me personally is determined by the effect I allow it to have upon me. If I use whatever it is, desired or not, to become more responsive to the Lord then it is of infinite worth to me. If I allow it to distract me from such responsiveness then I have rendered it valueless to me.
Hence there is no difficulty that I cannot make vital to my life if I will but determine to use it to deepen my sensitivity to the Lord so as to meet the situation precisely as He would have me meet it. Therefore my biggest challenges are, in truth, my greatest assets in life. I stand to be more careful to respond to the Lord in them than in the seeming trifles of life.
But then notice how the “trifles” are therefore the more dangerous for me. It appears that not much hangs in the balance so I can easily relax my responsiveness to the Lord. Whoa. Listen to Jesus: “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.” Lk 16:10
Evidently, to mishandle the small stuff—that is, to not faithfully use even those “trivialities” as situations in which I listen to Christ—is proof positive that I am not to be trusted to faithfully manage bigger things.
