The Bible says, “You have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.” (Matt. 25:21)
This means that, as you have been faithful in earthly things, I will set you over the heavenly. You have been faithful in this present world, I will set you over eternity…
This principle could be applied in many fields…
If you are faithful in loving your relative, God will set you over loving the enemy. He will give you the grace which enables you to love your enemy…
If you are faithful in serving God during your leisure time God may grant you the love to consecrate all your life for Him.
If you are faithful in rejecting willful sins, God will deliver you from unwillful sins…
If you are faithful in keeping your conscious mind from evil thoughts, God will grant you purity of the subconscious mind and God will also grant you purity of dreams…
If you are faithful in childhood, God will grant you faithfulness in your youth, which has more combats.
If you are faithful in not judging others by words, God will enable you not to judge by thoughts, which is more difficult.
Likewise, if you are faithful in controlling yourself from external anger, then God will grant you freedom from internal anger, freedom from rage, envy and thoughts of anger.
If you are faithful in the ordinary spiritualities (the fruits of the Spirit), God may grant you gifts of the Spirit; and without faithfulness in the first, you can never get the second.
God tests you first in the little, and if you prove to be faithful, He will set you over what is more. If you show your failure and faithlessness in the little, God will hardly set you over much…
As the Bible says, “If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, then how can you contend with the horses?” (Jer. 12:5)
It is amazing how many think themselves able to carry out big responsibilities while they are unable to cope with what is lesser. They are unable to use the grace they have, and still ask for more, forgetting God’s words, “You have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things,” this is conditional…
— Pope Shenouda III
