Big and Small Tasks
Bible Readings
Take a few minutes to read the Bible verses listed and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in how this verse applies to you this week.
12 God loves you and has chosen you as his own special people. So be gentle, kind, humble, meek, and patient. 13 Put up with each other, and forgive anyone who does you wrong, just as Christ has forgiven you. 14 Love is more important than anything else. It is what ties everything completely together. 15 Each one of you is part of the body of Christ, and you were chosen to live together in peace. So let the peace that comes from Christ control your thoughts. And be grateful. 16 Let the message about Christ completely fill your lives, while you use all your wisdom to teach and instruct each other. With thankful hearts, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17 Whatever you say or do should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks to God the Father because of him.
Colossians 3:12-17
Memory Verse
1 Samuel 30:23, 24
23 But David said: My friends, don't be so greedy with what the has given us! The protected us and gave us victory over the people who attacked.
After playing, Kai was asked to put away all the toys in the living room, and his brother Percy was asked to vacuum. Their mom told them they would each get three cookies after they cleaned up, but Kai thought Percy should get fewer cookies because he just vacuumed. However, their mom still gave them each three cookies! How do you think Percy felt? How do you think Kai felt?
King David made sure that everyone in his army got the same reward, even though some of them didn't do the same kind of work as others (1 Samuel 30:24). Some people stayed to guard the supplies, while others went on to fight. David wanted to show his soldiers that everyone had a part to play, and that all of the parts were important. He wanted to show them that God rewards both big and small tasks.
Do you sometimes feel like what you do for God doesn't seem very big, or that what others are doing is too small to matter much? Remember that God loves you no matter what you do, whether it is big or small. You can serve him joyfully in everything! When you see people get rewarded for the little things they do, don't get upset. Instead, be happy with them and encourage them that their work matters too!
Prayer
Father, thank you for loving me. Please help me to do my work for you. Help me to be happy for others when they get good things. Amen.Related Resources
Chris Wheeler
Chris Wheeler is a writer, liturgist, and poet currently based in northwest Indiana. He enjoys writing about faith, art, and fatherhood, and is passionate about offering creative language for the church to use worship. He recently published his first book of poetry, "Solace: Poems for the Broken Season,". He lives in Middlebury, IN in his childhood home, with his wife and five children under eight.