22010.285 Faithful in Service

“So the first one came before him and said, ‘Sir, your mina has made ten minas more.’ And the king said to him, ‘Well done, good slave! Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, you will have authority over ten cities.” Then the second one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has made five minas.’ So the king said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’” —Luke 19:16–19

These verses beg the question: Are we being good, profitable, useful servants to our Master? Indeed, trustworthiness being lived out is both virtuous and advantageous to those who consider themselves servants Jesus.

As followers of Christ we are told:

“Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.” —1 Corinthians 6:19–20

“You were bought with a price. Do not become slaves of men.” —1 Corinthians 7:23

“You know that from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors you were ransomed—not by perishable things like silver or gold, but by precious blood like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb, namely Christ.” —1 Peter 1:18–19

“But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” —Romans 5:8

Purchased by the precious blood of Jesus from the marketplace of sin, each one of us has been redeemed from a useless, vain, and empty way of life—not only saved from it but saved for another purpose!

“For it is by grace you are saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—it is not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are his creative work, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we can do them.” —Ephesians 2:8–10

We were saved from a useless life in order to accomplish God’s good works! We have been created to do great things for Him! When He returns, His desire is to find us faithful and trustworthy in this endeavor. This holds true even in what we or the world may deem to be the smallest things He has prepared for us to do. Obedience is obedience—God considers nothing too small.

Paul tells us in Colossians:

“Whatever you are doing, work at it with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not for people, because you know that you will receive your inheritance from the Lord as the reward. Serve the Lord Christ.” —Colossians 3:23–24

“If [God] says ‘Well done,’ it does not matter who says otherwise.” —Matthew Henry

It can lighten our load to remember whom it is that we are serving. Knowing that we are doing God’s work infuses our labor with dignity and honor. We serve others faithfully for the sake of Christ who served us while we were yet sinners.

Become More

“If by doing some work which the undiscerning consider ‘not spiritual work’ I can best help others, and I inwardly rebel, thinking it is the spiritual for which I crave, when in truth it is the interesting and exciting, then I know nothing of Calvary love.” —Amy Carmichael

“It is too bad that many believers minimize the place of good works in the Christian life. Matthew 5:16 ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven’. We do not perform good works to get any glory for ourselves, but we do them to glorify His blood given on our behalf. Hebrews 13:16 indicates that our good works are actually ‘spiritual sacrifices’ that we offer to God.” —Wales Goebel

Further Reflection

“Let us work as if success depended upon ourselves alone, but with heartfelt conviction that we are doing nothing, and God everything.” —St. Ignatius Loyola

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