A couple of years ago I sat on the board of a religious magazine, where a
priest was the treasurer. In talking to the staff, I found out he had signed eighty-seven blank checks and left them in the trust office. Doing that he felt he did not need to travel all the way to the trust office to sign cheques anymore, but could still have the post of treasurer printed on his letterhead!
He wanted a name without responsibility! As I pondered deeper, what struck me more was the fact that this person was untrustworthy. He was not worthy of the faith placed on him by donors, the other trustees and even shareholders. In the Bible is the story of three men who were given different sums of money by their boss who was going abroad. One man was given five dollars, the next two, and the third one. When the boss came back he asked each to account for the money given. The one who had received five dollars said he’d invested the same and doubled it. The next man with the two dollars also said he had got twice what he’d been given.
The boss then turned to the third man, who told him he had buried his single dollar and thereupon gave it back to his boss. He was angry that he had been given just a dollar and therefore had done nothing with it. The master then turned to his first two employees and said, ‘You both have been faithful with a few things, I will place you both in charge of many things.” He threw the last fellow out.
When you are on a board or committee, maybe a small one, your investment of time and trust brings you greater responsibility, this is also seen at one’s workplace: You are rewarded for fulfilling your small responsibilities. I learnt later that the same treasurer who’d signed those eighty odd blank cheques had stood for a bishop’s post and lost not once but twice. After which he ranted and railed about the candidate who had stood against him. He tried to convince the same board that he had lost because of unfair means used, “No,” I said, “Learn to be faithful with small responsibilities and God will put you in charge of greater ones!”
There may be many of you who have been passed by for promotion, or are wondering why bigger responsibilities are not being given to you. Give yourself a few moments right now; think, are you putting maximum effort into handling those small tasks which are now thrust on you, or like the signed blank cheques are you shirking your duty? Then don’t blame fate, unfair means or even corruption when senior positions go to others, like this priest found.
Fulfil your small responsibilities and be rewarded with greater ones! I end with a footnote: If you have lost a job or promotion despite putting in effort, don’t give up hope, be patient, you will be amply rewarded..!
