I don't know about you, but I long to hear these words when I pass from this earth onto the next life, "Well Done My Good And Faithful Servant." I have actually imagined the exact picture you see above of myself and Jesus. When I saw this picture, I had to use it for this weeks blog! I can hardly wait to run into His arms! Have you ever questioned what Jesus meant by the three words My faithful servant? I mean, how do you know if you're being a faithful servant? Is it by being nice to everyone you see? Always attending Sunday services? Never gossiping, holding your temper, or your faithfulness to tithe? Jesus told us how we can know. To begin, Jesus said, "One who is faithful in very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much" (Luke 16:10). As an example, I think a modern illustration of this might be the following: A newly hired man was in the lunch line at a company cafeteria. As chance would have it, he was just ahead of the CEO, but when the CEO saw the man slide a 3 cent pat of butter under his dinner role, the CEO realized the company had hired the wrong man. How could that act determine the CEO's conclusion? If the employee wasn't going to be honest enough to pay for a 3 cent pat of butter, he certainly couldn't be trusted with more. Right? Are YOU faithful in the little things? If not, how can the Lord expect you to be faithful in the big things He wants to reveal or give you authority over? If we're being faithful to Jesus, this means we're being faithful to His Word. It means we are obeying His Word, all of His Word, and developing the character of Christ. He said, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep my Word, and my Father will love him, and We will come to him and make our home with him" (John 14:23).
So you're thinking... "Okay, what are the 'little things I should be faithful in?' They are the small things we often give no credence to! Are you faithful to commune with God on a daily basis through prayer, through reading His Word, meditating on Him or simply conversing with Him? You said you love Him, right? Don't you commune with your spouse daily? Do you also make time for God whom you say you love? How about the disciplines of self-control or giving back to God? Do you keep the promises you made to God? Are you a faithful witness of the Truth even when remaining silent would be easier? Do you step forward to help a fellow brother even if it's an inconvenience? These are examples of "little things" which exhibit the character of a true follower of Jesus. If you cannot do the little things, how can you expect God to entrust bigger things to you? You see, small things such as these often prove a servants heart! It is in the small things that we grow into the character of Christ. We are tested in these areas. The Master is temporarily away and has given us, His servants, talents to use wisely. We are not to hold onto them, we are to use them to gain more people for the Kingdom -- I call it spiritual interest (refer to Matthew 25: 14-30 ---parable of the talents). Jesus said, "For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away." It's simple to understand if you use money as an allegory to this parable. Invest your money and you'll gain interest. Invest in the Kingdom and you'll gain people for the Kingdom of God. Hide your money in a nightstand drawer and it gains no interest. Hide the talents God has given you and no one will hear the gospel or see the character of Christ in you that the world so needs to see. Nothing is gained!
What I share with you through my blogs can be compared to a biblical "talent" (not a skill) that the Lord freely gave me with the purpose of investing, that if I invest, I will gain interest on my investment. Just like the Kingdom, God entrusted me with His Word and I am investing it in YOU! Therefore, I build the Kingdom and earn interest on my investment through gaining people for Christ! Bottom line, THE PROOF OF BEING A FAITHFUL SERVANT is doing what God says. It's simple to understand. And though none of us do it perfectly, we are still motivated by love to obey Him. Jesus summed it up, "If you love Me, you will keep my commandments" (John 14:15). And it's good to keep His Word. Why? Because, Jesus assured, "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love" (John 15:10). You can't say you love Jesus and continually disobey Him. Disobedience does not allow the character of Christ to develop in you. That makes no sense for a child of God. I think we can understand that Jesus and the Father's will are one in the same ... they always agree perfectly in everything, including the will of the Holy Spirit, so we know that the Father's will is Jesus' will, and that Jesus always did the will of the Father, so Jesus has some joyous news for those of us who do the will of the Father: "For whosoever does the will of My Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother" (Matthew 22:50). Wow! How about that? If you are faithful to Jesus' teachings, then you are actually being faithful to the Father's will because they are the same! They agree on everything. If we do what Jesus commands, we are doing the will of God and are "good and faithful servants." Whoever does God's will is going to be blessed by God, but they will also be full of joy, knowing they are doing their Master's will. Whatever we do for Jesus, we are doing for the Father and vice versa!
What else makes us faithful? I believe if you are a servant of Christ, you cannot help but speak about Christ. That does not mean you have to teach, preach, write books or blogs, or even have eloquent words. You can simply "speak what you have seen and heard" (Acts 4:20). If you were among your family or friends knowing you've learned something from the Word of God, and their conversation opposes WHAT YOU KNOW TO BE TRUE, you shouldn't be ashamed to speak the truth you learned from scripture. There's no need to argue your point, simply share what God has said. It could be one line or one scripture. By doing so, you have stood up for the truth and spread the gospel by planting a seed in their heart. It's not up to you to harvest, just plant and God will water as He sees fit. Everything we have is from God. We are all simply stewards of what God has given us and He expects us to be faithful with what we've been given, whether little or much: 30, 60, or 100 fold (Mark 4:20). Here are some things you might consider.
1) Do you wish you had the same knowledge and understanding of the Bible that your preacher/pastor has? How much time are you devoting to reading, learning, and searching to understanding Scriptures? It's the little things.
2) You would love to be a part of an overseas mission your church has begun involving feeding third world children. That's all good and well, but have you considered taking a couple sacks of groceries to your next door neighbor who lost his job months ago? It's the little things.
3) You're assisting your mother who has fallen ill with cancer. Have you ever given a donation to support the local children's hospital? Or do you figure someone else will step up and do it? Besides, you have already given a "Sunday tithe." It's the little things.
These are the "little things" that display the character of Christ. If we are not faithful as Christians with the little things God has shown us and given us, how can He trust us with the bigger responsibilities of the Kingdom? We are to be faithful with what amount we were given, but also in keeping His Word wherever we go and whatever we do; doing His will and not denying His Name before others because we are all only stewards, really owning nothing at all. It is all from God and so to God we owe all! It is our duty to be good and faithful servants, and if we are, we too will hear those precious words, "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of the Lord" (Matthew 25:23).
Until He Comes,
-Pat-
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