THE BIBLICAL ACID TEST
Luke 16:10-12 NKJV
10 He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. 11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own?
According to a Google search, the term "acid test" is "something that proves the true qualities, value, or success of someone or something:" Jesus gave a biblical acid test in our verses for today.
The person who is faithful in little will be faithful in much. Faithful is defined as being worthy of belief, confidence, or trust. So, the acid test is how someone handles something small. Jesus goes on to state that the person who is unjust in what is least is then unjust in what is much. Not handling the little things well indicates that person will not handle the bigger things well.
People, in the past, have told me that when a certain project comes in, they are going to give to the church. And typically, they are talking about large sums of money. I used to get excited when people would say they were going to give. All giving done for the Lord is valuable. Big giving moves the needle as far as what we are able to do as a church. But often, the big giving never materialized. What I should have done was go back and have our finance people pull the giving records of the individual who was making the big promise. Because if someone was not giving to the church when their money was small, then they would not give when their proverbial ship came in.
So, the Biblical acid test for future spiritual success is how someone handles the little things they are given. And how does someone handle money, and how someone handles what belongs to another person? When I visited with Pastor John Osteen some thirty years ago to ask for his blessing on us starting a church, he said something that I have never forgotten. Pastor Osteen told me that I would be a good pastor because I had been a good church member. By working to advance and support what was another man's, Lakewood Church, God could trust me with what was my own responsibility, The Ark Church.
These principles apply to the spiritual realm but also hold true in the secular realm. Don't promote a person to a more responsible position if they have not handled their current position well. If a person is diligent to come to work on time and does an excellent job, then the chances are good that they will still be productive if promoted. But if someone is not faithful with their current job, you can't promote them into productivity.
And the great thing about the acid test is that we never have to actually tell someone they are being tested. All we have to do is observe. And as we look at our own lives, if we want to be promoted by the Lord, we have to ask ourselves how we are doing on the biblical acid test. If you have fallen short, make the adjustment and keep on. And take Paul's advice from Colossians 3:23, "And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,".