Jesus often used stories, called parables, to teach His followers important lessons. One of those lessons is that if you’re faithful with small things now, God will trust you with bigger things later.
In the coming kingdom and the new heaven‑on‑earth, that means real responsibility—leadership, creativity, and purpose.
Luke 19:17
And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.
Your character—the kind of person you decide to be—takes work. You have to practice to develop good qualities like courage, patience, honesty, love, and wisdom. And sometimes facing hard things and going through hard times can be God’s way of helping you shape that good character.
Those good qualities you develop aren’t for this life only, they don’t disappear; they continue into eternity.
What Will Follow You?
Revelation 14:13
And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
Your works are the things you do and the words you speak.
Good works are the ones you do out of love for God and His people. Those works add value to the world around you and they glorify our heavenly Father.
Not-so-good works are the ones that are selfish and dishonest – they don’t glorify God and they aren’t helpful to others around you. In fact, sometimes they can even be harmful.
That means the good works you do now don’t vanish. They show up again in the world to come. What kind of works do you want following you into God’s new heaven-on-earth?
Practicing For Your Future Job
In the future kingdom, we will serve and reign with Him.
Revelation 22:3–5
And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
That means that the good character we build now prepares us to rule and serve forever in God’s restored creation.
This life is not a waiting room. It’s a training ground for the new life in the kingdom.
Child of God, husband, father, grandfather, rabblerouser, songwriter, pot stirrer, waiting for the King.