She laughed. “I blame my thighs on my mother.”

“So do I! I mean—on my mother, not yours.”

We both laughed, and I said, “Maybe I should cut down on sweets. You’re never tempted by dessert. Look how strong you’re being right now!”

She shrugged. “For me, resisting sweets is easy. Spending money is my weakness. Lately I’ve been buying stuff on impulse—little things like funky nail polishes, froufrou shower gels, expensive coffees. I always rationalize it, but I don’t actually need any of these things, and the Lord has been speaking to me about it.”

“Really?” I asked, slowing down to listen.

She nodded. “It’s a waste of money and it adds up. I want to start being more obedient, more faithful with the small things.”

Her words echoed in my mind long after dinner. Faithful with small things? Like cake, cookies, and candy?

In the parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14–30), the servants who were faithful with little pleased their master very much. He then put them in charge of more. When we decide we want to please the Lord and be effective servants for Him, we often start out taking small steps. As we show faithfulness, we are given more responsibility, some other work that lines up with the gifts He gave us. Then we begin to look forward to hearing those longed-for words: “Well done” (Matt. 25:21).