“When people commend themselves, it doesn’t count for much. The important thing is for the Lord to commend them.” (2 Corinthians 10:18)
So, whom does the Lord commend? Jesus describes them as the one who is faithful; that is, the person who seeks to know the Lord and lives in accordance with the truth of God’s Word.
Jesus tells a parable of a man who goes on a long journey, who entrusts his possessions (talents) to his servants. The first got five talents, the second received two talents, and the third got one talent. Jesus tells us that ‘immediately’ the first two servants invest what they have been given, revealing they truly understand the character and will of their master. Because of their correct knowledge of their master and his desire to impact others with the truth of His Word, their ‘investment’ into the lives of people doubles. The third servant had a poor and self interested understanding of his masters will; he allowed his own fears and desires to drive his response to his master’s gift, and he hid the talent he was entrusted with. Because he was faithless, and tried to justify his own actions by living ‘his own truth’ instead of what actually corresponds with reality, he not only was not commended by his master, but he lost what he was given.
God calls us to be faithful stewards with what He has entrusted us with; regardless of the value society places on it. We are to do this exactly the way Jesus has shown us, by investing what has been entrusted to us in the way of ‘talents’, into the lives of others so that they see the Love of God.
It is for this reason Paul writes to encourage the Philippian Believers, who where choosing to give like Christ in spite of their hardships, “If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care —then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends.
Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.
Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what… Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.”
(Philippians 2:1-8)
It is His Spirit that Jesus has entrusted you with, be faithful in His leading, trusting Gods Words, and passing along His truths in both word and deed.
Choose wisely…
“His Master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your Master.’ (Matthew 25:21)
Praying 4 U
Written by David Brown: David Brown is a husband, father, grandfather, Pastor with a Masters of Religious Studies and a Professor of Philosophy and Comparative Religions. Dave is the Associate Pastor of Pemberton’s First Baptist Church.
