SOBERING LESSONS

I Was Just Thinking About - - -

The following thoughts were touched upon in the devotional, Strength For The Journey – July 28, 2016. Joseph Stowell wrote: “So here’s the sobering lesson. No matter how important your accomplishments are now and how much applause they generate, time will eventually erase the headlines of your life. Ultimately, all that will be left is your name and dates on a seldom-visited tombstone. Unless, that is, you live your life to do something of significance for eternity. Like the preacher says: Only one life will soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last!”

The aspiration of most Biblical Christians is to one day hear the personalized words of Jesus Christ (Matthew 25:21): “Well done, good and faithful servant!” This aspiration should always recognize the context: “You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” The obvious emphasis of Jesus Christ is on the word faithful. The devotional suggests being faithful by “giving meaningful portions of your time, gifts, talents, and money to advance the eternal cause of Jesus in your town.” In this context, faithful is focused not necessarily on success but on effort. The word stands in contrast to one who is slothful (unproductive and/or lazy). Matthew 25:24-26 states: “The man who had received one bag of gold came. Master, he said: I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you. His master replied: You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?”

The sobering lesson includes not comparing oneself with others who seem to be very successful and having the “Midas Touch” (everything they become involved in seems to turn into gold). However, when the sheep and goats are being separated, some are surprised by what the Master has indicated. In Matthew 25:37-40, the ordinary followers of Christ are recorded as saying: “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? The King will reply, Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

What kind of servant will you be found to be by The Master and King – faithful (true to one’s promises and vows) or slothful (unproductive and/or lazy)? Let us be committed to being faithful servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. Prayerfully – Consider these things with me.