Thursday, October 12, 2023
Found Faithful
Before he left, he called together ten of his servants and divided among them ten pounds of silver, saying, “Invest this for me while I am gone.” (Luke 19:13 NLT)
What are we supposed to do as Christians until Jesus returns? How are we to live our lives? The Bible tells us there are specific things that we should be doing.
One thing that God has given to every follower of Jesus, without exception, is the message of the gospel. While not everyone is called to be an evangelist, everyone is called to evangelize.
The apostle Paul mentioned in his letter to Timothy how God entrusted “the glorious Good News” to him (1 Timothy 1:11). And God has entrusted the glorious Good News to us as well.
Jesus told a parable about a man of great wealth who was preparing to leave on a long trip. He called his servants together and gave each of them a sum of money. Everyone received the same amount. Then he told them, “Invest this for me while I am gone” (Luke 19:13 NLT).
In the same way, Jesus is saying to us, “I’m coming back soon, so take this message that I’ve entrusted to you and share it with others. Do God’s business until I return.”
There is nothing wrong with having a career or getting married and having a family. There is nothing wrong with enjoying the things God has given to us.
But here’s the question we must ask ourselves: “What am I personally doing to get the gospel out?”
Maybe you believe that is the job of pastors and evangelists. Yes, it is. But it is also the job of every Christian. It is more than giving money for the work of evangelism, although that is a very good thing to do. It is also looking for opportunities that God puts in our paths.
Jesus made this clear in another parable He told about someone who had mismanaged his employer’s finances. Knowing he was about to be fired, the manager reached out to several of the people who owed money to his employer.
For example, one man owed 800 gallons of oil, so the employee had him settle the debt for 400 gallons. The manager did the same thing with a number of people who were in debt to his employer. And ultimately, instead of reproving this manager, the employer commended him for his shrewdness.
Jesus concluded by saying, “Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home” (Luke 16:9 NLT).
In the same way, we need to take our resources and use them for the work of the gospel. God has given each of us three things to use for His glory: time, talent, and treasure. We all have these in varying degrees.
God doesn’t hold us responsible for success; He holds us responsible for faithfulness. In that final day, Jesus isn’t going to say, “Well done, good and successful servant.” Instead, He will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Take what God has given you and do the best that you can do.
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