Faithful in the Little Things
There is no such thing as a “little” spiritual battle. How often do you attend church when you’d rather stay in bed and scroll social media? And when you do make it to church, are you mentally present listening and learning or are you distracted by thoughts of work or your next meal? Do you pray for and minister to your fellow Christians even when they grate your nerves? These “little” things quickly add up and have more importance than we give them credit for. A little compromise with the world, a little acquiescence to the flesh, a little indifference toward the devil, will destroy you little by little. The Bible stresses the importance of remaining faithful in the little things. Mighty men of the Bible show a dedication to what others would consider insignificant.
In 2nd Samuel 23, where we receive a list of David’s Mighty Men. 2 Samuel 23:11-12 (KJV) says,
And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentils: and the people fled from the Philistines. [12] But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the Lord wrought a great victory.
Why is Shammah remembered as one of David’s Mighty Men? All he did was kill a few Philistines in a lentil field. Lentils are members of the broader bean family, hardly a significant or noteworthy plant. Lentils are only mentioned a couple other times in the Bible, but only one other time is it noteworthy, when in Genesis 25, Esau sells his birthright to Jacob for “bread and pottage of lentils.” Meanwhile, this is the only time we are told any of the actions of Shammah, he is only ever mentioned again as just a name in the list of David’s Mighty Men.
So, a mighty man, fought a battle over… a field of beans? This is not one of the epic fights we expect. We tend to focus on the bigger battles, but David thought this small fight was important enough to name Shammah a mighty man, and God thought it was important enough to mention in His inspired Word.
What is being established here is a lesson, which will be expounded on indirectly by Christ. In Luke 16, at the end of the parable of the unjust steward, Christ declares,
He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own? (Luke 16:10-12)
Why should we be trusted with the big battles if we can’t be faithful in small battles? What king would appoint you guardian of the gate to his castle if he can’t trust you to guard a humble lintel patch? Jesus provides similar instructions in the parable of the talents in Matthew 25. To the servant, who used wisely the talents he received, “His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” (Matthew 25:21)
If we want to be remembered as mighty men (or women) of the faith, or if we want to hear “well done thou good and faithful servant” on the last day, we must be faithful in the little things. You may feel like you are fighting a minor battle, but that is never true. Whether you’re standing separate from the world, mortifying the flesh, or resisting the devil, realize there is no such thing as a “little” battle. Be like Shammah, don’t retreat from your lintel patch. Be faithful in the smallest of things, and He who sees all things and knows all things, will reward your faithfulness.