Our Lord taught that the person who is not faithful with that which he already possesses cannot be trusted with more. This is a very basic principle, yet believers constantly strive for the "big" things when they are not even faithful yet in the "little" things.

One area that might be considered least in which believers must be faithful is the fulfillment of past vows to God:

When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.

Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.

Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?
(Eccl. 5:4-6)

At one time or another, every believer has vowed a vow unto God, but not everyone has kept and fulfilled that vow. This is not a light thing to God.

So many have said, "Oh Lord, I'm going to witness to every person I see" - and that witnessing lasted for a day or two. So many have said, "Oh Lord, I'm going to fast for a week" - and that fast lasted about two days.

So many have promised the Lord that they would do this or that, and then only partially fulfilled their vows, never completely doing what they promised to do.

According to Ecclesiastes 4:6, God will destroy the efforts of these foolish individuals; yet they are crying out to Him for more and more and more. God will not build upon anything that He says in His Word His is going to destroy.

We Christians need to learn to fulfill our vows to God. This is where the Holy Spirit will play a part in our individual lives as He quickens to us our past vows to the Lord that are in need of fulfillment.

As the Holy Spirit does His work, may we individual believers be careful not to say, "I didn't mean it, God," which is just another way of saying, "...it was an error" (Eccl. 5:6).

Instead, may we be very careful to be faithful in that which is least-such as our past vows to God. If we will do that, if we will be faithful in that which is least, God will begin to give us much.

Source: A Call For Character by Greg Zoschak
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers