“Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.”
Luke 19:16–19
There is an old story about a missionary returning to America by boat after many years of faithful service in Africa. When the boat pulled into New York harbor, there was a huge crowd at the docks to welcome it. On that same vessel was former President Teddy Roosevelt, returning from his famous African safari. The crowds cheered and the band played as the people welcomed Roosevelt home. The missionary said that at first he was somewhat disappointed to see the recognition given to the President while he received none, but then he had this thought: the President is home—you are not.
The world may never notice what we do for the Lord. In fact, the more faithful and diligent we are about His business the less popular we are likely to be. Yet God is not interested in whether we become famous and well-liked by the world. Instead He is watching to see whether we have made the most of the talents, resources, abilities, and opportunities He gives to us.
In God’s eyes, small actions done out of love and service for Him matter a great deal. Nothing escapes His notice. Jesus said, “And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward” (Matthew 10:42). Though we think of a drink as being a small thing, the Lord sees even those “little” things and marks them down on our record for when we stand before Him.