Author Archives: Pastor Dale

What’s your capacity for responsibility?

The capacity to carry and execute responsibility is a valued quality. It’s something that’s rare. It’s the capacity to faithfully steward duties and privileges assigned in an honorable and effective way. Responsible people take their jobs and assignments seriously. They put their whole heart into the things they’re given to handle or do, and treat what belongs to another with great care, conscientiousness, honor and respect, as though it was their own.

The capacity to handle responsibility is one of the marks of maturity. It’s a sign that people are ready for more. Responsible people not only get bigger opportunities, they also receive bigger blessings. They’re promotable, bless-able, usable and desirable to have on a team, in a company or serving in an organization.

One of the key questions asked by employers, supervisors, teachers, coaches, pastors and leaders is “How can I wisely choose people to employ, promote or entrust with responsibility?”

Jesus gave us the answer to this question.  He taught us what to look for in people who have capacity for responsibility. Here is His wisdom:

Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much … — Luke 16:10 (NIV)

If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones … — Luke 16:10 (NLT)

Jesus said the real test for someone’s capacity for greater responsibility is how they handle little things. This seems counterintuitive. It would seem that, if you want to give someone bigger responsibilities you would evaluate how they handle really big things.

Jesus said no. The greatest insight we get for how someone will handle big things is to watch how they handle little things — the smaller responsibilities they’ve been given.

This is a key principle for determining the capacity of people for increased work responsibility, Kingdom and ministry responsibility, or organizational responsibility. A lot of pain and problems would be avoided if we took time to observe faithfulness in little things before we appointed, promoted or employed people.

What makes you promotable, bless-able, usable and desirable as a team member? Capacity for responsibility. How is this measured? It’s seen in what you do with what you’ve already been given. It’s seen in how you handle the little things — the little duties, the little attitudes, the little jobs that are behind the scenes, the little things that are easy to avoid or ignore. Little is big with God!

Want to be promotable? Always be faithful in the little things and you’ll be prepared for bigger things!

Pastor Dale

“Time flies!” Life is a fast-paced event. The older I get the more it seems that years pass like months, months like days, days like hours, hours like minutes, and minutes like seconds.

What makes it worse is the speed at which we live life. With the convenience, and often the curse of mobile technology, we’re always on. Email, text messages, phone calls (yes, some people actually use their phones for phone calls!), follow us everywhere. Turning off and tuning out our devices seems like a cardinal sin. We’re addicted! If you don’t believe it, just do a little people-watching. Folks are technologically tethered. We call it “being connected.” But strangely, and ironically, the “connected” way of life often disconnects us from the people around us, and even from ourselves. All of this “noise” frequently drowns out the still, small voice of God in our hearts.

The demands, busyness and “connectedness” of life take a toll on us; physically, mentally, emotionally and most significantly, spiritually. Our bodies and minds out-pace our spirits. To be healthy and strong, we must purposely slow down, embrace spiritual pauses, and give ourselves time to reflect and refuel; spirit, soul and body.

God reminds us of this need to slow down, to quiet down –– to take time and remember who He is and what life in Him is all about:

“Be still and know that I am God …” ––  Psalm 46:10 (NIV)

The Hebrew term for “be still” means “to get alone; to withdraw; to relax; to cease and desist from striving; to let go.” You get the point. God is saying, “Withdraw from your busyness and give Me some time and space to work in your spirit. Relax in My presence and know who I am. Disconnect from all distractions and reconnect with Me!”

Plan wise disconnections in your life, and then make the right connections for greater health and strength!

Pastor Dale

Have you ever been asked to watch over something that belonged to someone else? Maybe you were asked to check on a friend’s home or take care of their pet while they were on vacation. Perhaps you were handed a valuable possession –– a wallet, purse or piece of jewelry –– to keep safe for someone for a period of time.

Although these situations require effort on our part, they also represent a kind of honor. It means that we’re considered to be responsible and trustworthy. It’s a statement of confidence in our character. The person who entrusted us with their valuables believes that we’ll conscientiously care for what belongs to them like it was our own. They’re demonstrating faith in our faithfulness. And it’s our duty to do our best to prove that their faith in our character is well placed.

It’s important for us to understand that God has placed certain “valuables” into our hands for safe keeping. He’s entrusted gifts, blessings, relationships and opportunities to our care. He’s given us assignments to fulfill, and work to do. One day we’ll stand before Him and give account for how we’ve handled what He handed us. Did we prove worthy of the confidence God placed in our character? Was His faith in us –– faith that we would be faithful –– was it well placed?

The Apostle Paul wrote these words to Timothy, challenging him to handle well all God had handed to him:

“Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care … ” –– 1 Timothy 6:20 (NLT)

“O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust … ” –– 1 Timothy 6:20 (NAS)

The Greek word Paul used for “guard” or “keep” means “to preserve and protect; to take good care of.” The term “entrusted” or “committed to thy trust” refers “to a deposit left to one’s charge; something consigned to one’s faithful keeping.”

God has placed many good things into your hands. Your marriage, your children, your job, your ministry work and service, your friendships…. What are you doing with them? Are you taking good care of them? Are you preserving and protecting them? Are you conscientiously and faithfully giving your best to all that God has entrusted to you?

Let’s make a fresh commitment to faithful living. Take good care of all that God has placed in your hands!

Pastor Dale