Trust Starts With Pizza Crust

“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

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So often I find profound reminders of God’s character and truth in the midst of my everyday life.  I’m always amazed how he takes the smallest moments, and turns them into piercing lessons for growth.

 

The following event started out as an opportunity to continue to sow the seed of honesty in my young son, Aaron, but it also became a call to check my own obedience and integrity before the Lord.

 

It was lunchtime, and cheese pizza with veggies and fruit were on the menu.  The kids and I were all happily munching away, when I had to get up to take care of something.  As I walked away, I shot a reminder back to them to eat some veggies rather than filling up on the end part of the pizza crust.  They both mumbled between bites that they would, and I went off to do what needed doing.

 

When I returned, I found Aaron stuffing his face with pizza crust, and his veggies were left untouched on his plate.  Another “mom mandate” went out about the veggies, and he eagerly shook his head, picked up a carrot, and put it to his mouth.  Satisfied, I wasn’t going to have to go to round three, I returned to my task.

 

Realizing I forgot to take something with me, I quickly turned back around to find Aaron with the pizza crust back in his mouth, and the carrot on his plate.

 

Denying the frustration that was mounting, I decided instead to use this scenario as an important lesson about honesty.

“Aaron, if I can’t trust you with a small thing like not eating pizza crust when my back is turned, how can I trust you with bigger things?” I asked.

 

Unsure how to answer, he just shrugged his shoulders, so I took the opportunity to push further.

 

“Today it’s pizza crust, tomorrow it will be friends, driving, and peer pressure.  How can I trust you’ll do the right thing when I’m not watching?” I asked.

 

Then it happened.  That voice – that prompting you hear inside raised up as I took a breath from my rantings and asked, “How is your integrity when you think my back is turned?”

 

Umm…well…I wasn’t expecting that one.

 

I quickly threw Aaron a, “That’s right!” and “Let’s start thinking about that one, shall we?” and retreated to my room for a little time to reflect on what just happened.

 

As I sat in my chair, I started asking some questions.  “How was I really behaving?”, “Was I cutting corners when I shouldn’t?”, “Were there areas of my life I wasn’t being completely honest about?“

 

“Did I behave in ways that denied the fact that God was aware of my comings and goings all the time?”

 

As I continued to examine my behavior, I started to feel really convicted, so I did what anyone would do – I rationalized and defended my actions.

 

Yeah…

 

You know, God’s uncompromising nature is something I draw a lot of comfort from.  I love how he pushes, and molds, and shapes us into a better people, and greater heirs of his Kingdom.

 

His insistence that we walk, and talk, and serve, and love with absolute integrity frees us from hypocritical, and pharisee-like attitudes. “For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.” (1 Thessalonians 2:12 NIV)

 

How is your integrity?  Do you sometimes forget that the Lord never takes his eyes off you?

 

Since that day, I found a verse that I keep posted on my board at my desk.  It says:

 

“So our aim is to please him always, whether we are here in this body or away from this body.” (2 Corinthians 5:9 NLT)

 

“God, am I pleasing you?”

 

Hope in Motion

1. Read Psalm 25:21.  Reflect on why integrity is important in this passage.
2. What does living a holy life mean to you?  Share you thoughts below.
3. Sometimes it’s hard to always do the right things.  What do you do to encourage yourself to remain obedient?