Available

“Someone who is trustworthy in a small matter is also trustworthy in large ones, and someone who is dishonest in a small matter is also dishonest in large ones.” Luke 16:10

It is invariable that, of 20 people to sign up for some new project, nearly half will find reason not to show up. We are all quick to volunteer, to raise our hands to help put in a new garden, help a neighbor move or take food to the sick. But it is surprising how many people bow out days before the opportunity presents itself.

Then there are others who will volunteer only if it puts them in the middle of the light. They want their name mentioned and hope for plaques honoring their commitment. If there is a toilet overflowing, they have other plans. Or, when a church needs people to take down chairs after an event, they are among the first to leave, making themselves unavailable.

It seems to me that Jesus is looking for two things: availability and faithfulness. Availability means we are willing, no matter what task is needed. I know people who have made great names for themselves in the trades, yet are always willing to install a widow’s dishwasher or help lay linoleum at cost for a friend who whose kitchen flooded and could not afford the full cost of a new floor. That is availability.

When people are ready to use their gifts no matter how small or big the task, God is pleased. This is the Kingdom of God Jesus is talking about, not some local service club. It is important that we understand this. When we as “the church” are volunteering, we are acting on behalf of God’s kingdom, not some local group that just happens to meet on Sunday. God wants people who are available because His work is important. It is those who are available for the small tasks, time after time, who God will pick for larger, more “important” jobs.

Faithfulness is the about showing up if we said we would be there. Again, there are people I know who are always ready to help, no matter the task. They are found painting the church, setting up the nativity scene, visiting a man whose wife is in the hospital, and driving a friend to the hospital. They rarely have moments of leisure, and rarely complain. They are faithful. They don’t sign up for a job and then look for a way out.

When people can be counted on, it makes every group run so much smoother. Just think about the last excuse you gave for not showing up for a commitment, and then imagine giving that excuse to God directly. Maybe it was fine; maybe not. But God’s kingdom needs people who are true to their word. Again, this is not a social club. Jesus is teaching, all through this chapter, about the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom, as Heavenly as it is, has been committed to human hands for its work to be accomplished.

Are you available? The next time someone calls because there is a need for work to help the needy, will you find a way to say “yes”. Are you faithful? Do you keep your commitments? Do you consider even the smallest task so important that you take your attendance seriously?

God watches us; kindly, graciously, but He does watch us. If we are interested in advancement in His kingdom, remember, He values availability and faithfulness. Do we realize how stuck we would be without Jesus being available for our redemption, and faithful enough to follow through with the agony of the cross? His kingdom deserves no less.