Have you ever met a person who loved the serving opportunity that they had? Have you ever watched them as they sought to minister and really took what they were doing seriously? They seemed to go above and beyond in every aspect of their service. They were always at their post, and when they weren’t they were almost grieved. Finding these types of persons is rare, but when they are found, it is like finding a diamond in the rough.
Finding Diamonds
One of the most important principles that we see in scripture is stewardship; it is so important that our church even spends an entire month thinking and teaching on this very topic. There are many different aspects to stewardship, and our church has explored and preached about many of them over the years. Today however I want us to think about the stewardship of our serving opportunities.
What Each Christian Needs
I believe that every Christian needs to have three key elements in their lives: (1) a walk with the Lord that is vibrant and impactful (2) a time of worship that happens within the church, usually on Sunday (3) a time when they work for Jesus. The last one seems to be the hardest item for many Christians to implement. They agree they need to love Jesus and worship him, but to actually do something for him now might be stretching it a little. One of the great things about Faith Church is that we have so many folks who actually who get it. They do a great job serving day in and day out; they are not flashy about it, rather they serve humbly.
The Parable of the Talents
Three of the gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) each recount the parable of the stewards who were called to invest what they had been given. Each of them was given a different amount. Some were given ten talents, some five and others one. When the master came back he expected there to be an increase and for the first two there was, but for the last there was not. The point of the story is that God is expecting faithfulness out of us. So the question then becomes what does it look like for me to be faithful today? Here are some general thoughts, but we certainly could add more to the list.
- First you have to be serving somewhere. If you are not serving then you need to serve. You can’t be like the servant who got his one talent and then buried it in the ground.
- If you are serving, then you need to see the importance and value of what you are doing. Remember, as a body the eye can’t say to the hand that I have no need for you (1 Cor. 12:21).
- Wherever you are serving be faithful in it. There is nothing that will disappoint our Savior more than a person who says “yes” but means “no.” If you have committed to serving, be a person of your word and stick to it.
We are told at the end of the parable that he who has been found faithful with a little will be given much. I don’t know exactly what that will look like in Heaven, but it sure sounds good to me. So if you have what you view as a “low” task, remember that one day there will be a great reward for your faithfulness. So I want to encourage you today to make sure you are serving, and, if you are serving, to realize the value of your service, and that you need to be faithful in your area of service so that one day the Lord can entrust you with more.
