Faithfulness is often tested in the moments no one else sees.

In this episode, we explore how integrity is built — not in grand gestures, but in quiet, ordinary decisions. Through a simple but powerful story about a toddler’s toy and a mother’s promise, we’re reminded that what feels small to us may mean everything to someone else.

Jesus teaches that how we handle the “little” things reveals the condition of our hearts. When we resist the temptation to cut corners, we demonstrate trustworthiness — both before God and before others.

What We Discuss


Why small acts of obedience matter


The temptation to minimize “insignificant” responsibilities


How integrity is formed in private decisions


The connection between stewardship and trust


Why faithfulness today prepares us for greater responsibility tomorrow

This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today.  Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org

TrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments. https://trinitycredit.org

Full Transcript Below:

To Be Faithful with the Little Things 

By Deidre Braley 

Bible Reading:
Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. - Luke 16:10

Something you should know is that we have a dog and three young children. That means that nothing in our house is ever entirely clean, and also that there’s so much hullabaloo on any given morning in our home that when the dog starts to chew a kid’s toy, it is the least of my worries. 

But it was not the least of our two-year-old’s worries the other morning. We were trying to get everyone on the school bus and out the door when our dog found one of the wooden “bolts” from his play toolbox and started to roll it around in his mouth. “Oh, stop that,” I said, prying it from his mouth. I tossed it back on the floor and wouldn’t have given it another thought, except that our horrified toddler cried, “Mommy, will you clean it?” 

I assured him I would, of course, and then I gave him a hug and a kiss and sent him out the door with my husband so everyone could make it to their morning destination on time. As soon as the house was silent, I went about my morning rounds of tidying just enough clutter so I could work at home without being utterly distracted by the mess. 

When I went back into his bedroom to gather up the dirty clothes and clear a path for walking on his floor, I saw the dog-slobbered toy. And I have to be honest here—I thought to myself, “He’ll never know,” and almost just tossed it back in his toolbox without washing it. But then a small voice whispered into my spirit, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” I was convicted. I took out a baby wipe and gently rubbed it down, then went on with my day. 

When he got home that night, can you guess what he asked me right away? “Mommy, you clean my toy?” It is hard to describe the relief I felt knowing I could honestly say, “Yes, I did.” Just like I said I would. 

To me, that little wooden bolt had felt inconsequential. My mind had been running through all the deadlines I needed to meet that day and all the more “important” things I needed to accomplish. But to my son, that was the important thing. If I hadn’t been faithful with that, how could he trust me to be faithful at all? 

Intersecting Faith & Life:

Since that day, I’ve been surprised by how many opportunities I’ve had to be faithful in the little things—and how often I’ve been tempted to cut corners, thinking that no one will notice or care anyway. But after telling the parable of the shrewd manager, Jesus asks, “So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own” (Luke

16:11-12)? In other words, the way we steward what we have today matters, and God sees the way we handle what he’s given to us to care for. The people around us do too. Our obedience in tending to the “little” things indicates the integrity of our character and whether we can also be trusted with the “big” things. 

As you go about your day today, I encourage you to keep Jesus’ words in your head: “Whoever can be trusted with very little…” Whenever you are tempted to cut a corner (like tossing that dog-slobbered toy back into the bin without washing it first), remember that this is an opportunity to be faithful—to show God and others that you are a person of integrity whom they can trust. 

Further Reading:
The Parable of the Faithful Steward: Luke 12:35-48
The Parable of the Talents: Matthew 25:14-28 
1 Peter 4:10

Faithfulness is often tested in the moments no one else sees.
In this episode, we explore how integrity is built &mdash; not in grand gestures, but in quiet, ordinary decisions. Through a simple but powerful story about a toddler&rsquo;s toy and a mother&rsquo;s promise, we&rsquo;re reminded that what feels small to us may mean everything to someone else.
Jesus teaches that how we handle the &ldquo;little&rdquo; things reveals the condition of our hearts. When we resist the temptation to cut corners, we demonstrate trustworthiness &mdash; both before God and before others.
<hr data-start="978" data-end="981">
What We Discuss
<ul data-start="1005" data-end="1280">
<li data-start="1005" data-end="1043">
Why small acts of obedience matter
</li>
<li data-start="1044" data-end="1107">
The temptation to minimize &ldquo;insignificant&rdquo; responsibilities
</li>
<li data-start="1108" data-end="1156">
How integrity is formed in private decisions
</li>
<li data-start="1157" data-end="1205">
The connection between stewardship and trust
</li>
<li data-start="1206" data-end="1280">
Why faithfulness today prepares us for greater responsibility tomorrow
</li>
</ul>
This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today. &nbsp;Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | <a href="https://trinitycredit.org/">https://trinitycredit.org</a>
TrinityCredit &ndash; Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments. <a href="https://trinitycredit.org/">https://trinitycredit.org</a>
<hr>
Full Transcript Below:
To Be Faithful with the Little Things&nbsp;
By Deidre Braley&nbsp;
Bible Reading: Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. - Luke 16:10
Something you should know is that we have a dog and three young children. That means that nothing in our house is ever entirely clean, and also that there&rsquo;s so much hullabaloo on any given morning in our home that when the dog starts to chew a kid&rsquo;s toy, it is the least of my worries.&nbsp;
But it was not the least of our two-year-old&rsquo;s worries the other morning. We were trying to get everyone on the school bus and out the door when our dog found one of the wooden &ldquo;bolts&rdquo; from his play toolbox and started to roll it around in his mouth. &ldquo;Oh, stop that,&rdquo; I said, prying it from his mouth. I tossed it back on the floor and wouldn&rsquo;t have given it another thought, except that our horrified toddler cried, &ldquo;Mommy, will you clean it?&rdquo;&nbsp;
I assured him I would, of course, and then I gave him a hug and a kiss and sent him out the door with my husband so everyone could make it to their morning destination on time. As soon as the house was silent, I went about my morning rounds of tidying just enough clutter so I could work at home without being utterly distracted by the mess.&nbsp;
When I went back into his bedroom to gather up the dirty clothes and clear a path for walking on his floor, I saw the dog-slobbered toy. And I have to be honest here&mdash;I thought to myself, &ldquo;He&rsquo;ll never know,&rdquo; and almost just tossed it back in his toolbox without washing it. But then a small voice whispered into my spirit, &ldquo;Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.&rdquo; I was convicted. I took out a baby wipe and gently rubbed it down, then went on with my day.&nbsp;
When he got home that night, can you guess what he asked me right away? &ldquo;Mommy, you clean my toy?&rdquo; It is hard to describe the relief I felt knowing I could honestly say, &ldquo;Yes, I did.&rdquo; Just like I said I would.&nbsp;
To me, that little wooden bolt had felt inconsequential. My mind had been running through all the deadlines I needed to meet that day and all the more &ldquo;important&rdquo; things I needed to accomplish. But to my son, that was the important thing. If I hadn&rsquo;t been faithful with that, how could he trust me to be faithful at all?&nbsp;
Intersecting Faith &amp; Life:
Since that day, I&rsquo;ve been surprised by how many opportunities I&rsquo;ve had to be faithful in the little things&mdash;and how often I&rsquo;ve been tempted to cut corners, thinking that no one will notice or care anyway. But after telling the parable of the shrewd manager, Jesus asks, &ldquo;So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else&rsquo;s property, who will give you property of your own&rdquo; (Luke
16:11-12)? In other words, the way we steward what we have today matters, and God sees the way we handle what he&rsquo;s given to us to care for. The people around us do too. Our obedience in tending to the &ldquo;little&rdquo; things indicates the integrity of our character and whether we can also be trusted with the &ldquo;big&rdquo; things.&nbsp;
As you go about your day today, I encourage you to keep Jesus&rsquo; words in your head: &ldquo;Whoever can be trusted with very little&hellip;&rdquo; Whenever you are tempted to cut a corner (like tossing that dog-slobbered toy back into the bin without washing it first), remember that this is an opportunity to be faithful&mdash;to show God and others that you are a person of integrity whom they can trust.&nbsp;
Further Reading: The Parable of the Faithful Steward: Luke 12:35-48 The Parable of the Talents: Matthew 25:14-28 1 Peter 4:10

Are you a Christian looking for a daily devotional podcast to encourage, inspire, and convict you in your walk with Christ? 7 days a week, The Crosswalk.com Daily Devotional Podcast offers wisdom and insight for applying Biblical truths to the ups and downs of everyday life. Let's study the Bible together and through the experiences of other believers, learn how to apply the Word of God to our lives.

Here’s just some of what we cover in The Crosswalk Daily Devotional Podcast:

☕️ Why the Tongue Can't Be Tamed (And What to Do about It)
☕️ The Quickest Way to an Attitude Adjustment
☕️ Your Birthday: The Most and Least Important Day of Your Life
☕️ Noticing God's Blessings in the Hardest Moments of Life
☕️ One of the Sneakiest Lies Satan Is Telling the Church
☕️ How to Push Through the Weariness of Prayer
☕️ 3 Steps to Take When Facing Temptation
☕️ What to Remember during a Stressful Election Year

If you love what you're listening to on the podcast, be sure to check out our companion devotional at https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/crosswalk-devo/.

Are you a Christian looking for a daily devotional podcast to encourage, inspire, and convict you in your walk with Christ? 7 days a week, The Crosswalk.com Daily Devotional Podcast offers wisdom and insight for applying Biblical truths to the ups and downs of everyday life. Let's study the Bible together and through the experiences of other believers, learn how to apply the Word of God to our lives.
Here’s just some of what we cover in The Crosswalk Daily Devotional Podcast:
☕️ Why the Tongue Can't Be Tamed (And What to Do about It) ☕️ The Quickest Way to an Attitude Adjustment ☕️ Your Birthday: The Most and Least Important Day of Your Life ☕️ Noticing God's Blessings in the Hardest Moments of Life ☕️ One of the Sneakiest Lies Satan Is Telling the Church ☕️ How to Push Through the Weariness of Prayer ☕️ 3 Steps to Take When Facing Temptation ☕️ What to Remember during a Stressful Election Year
If you love what you're listening to on the podcast, be sure to check out our companion devotional at <a href="https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/crosswalk-devo/">https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/crosswalk-devo/.</a>

7 days a week, The Crosswalk.com Devotional Podcast offers wisdom and insight for applying Biblical truths to the ups and downs of everyday life.

The Crosswalk Devotional: A Daily Devotional Christian Podcast

The Crosswalk Devotional

To Be Faithful with the LittleThings

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/clips/4a09e638-bdd7-427c-8c89-b40101124333/transcript