The Blessings of Faithfulness

"His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' " (Matthew 25:21, 23)

One of the recurring themes I have encountered as I have studied the bible is that of faithful stewardship - the wise use of God's resources entrusted to believers for the furtherance of His Kingdom. Much has been written and said about the perils of money, and rightly so: money is a visible, tangible measure of what is important to people, and how they spend and manage their money speaks volumes about where their priorities lie. But, it seems to me that there's more to it than just money.

Maybe it's the word "talent", which is used in the parable quoted here. In Bible times, a talent was an enormous sum of money, equivalent to 20 years of a worker's salary. (No small thing to be responsible for!) But when I think of "talent", the more modern meaning of "ability" always comes to mind, and I see this as equally valid in application of God's principle of stewardship. God blesses each of us with unique abilities, things which we are able to do, and it is vital that we, as followers of Christ, learn to appreciate these gifts and use them wisely for God's glory. A wonderful part of my own walk with Jesus has been recognizing how He intends to use me and the abilities He has blessed me with. I have long known that I could read with comprehension, write with clarity, and see relationships between intellectual concepts that were not apparent to others; to me, these things are as innate as swimming is to a fish: I don't have to try, I just do it. But I have never applied this to any meaningful endeavor; I just took it for granted. Lately, though, God has put it upon my heart that He has a purpose for me, and it's high time I got on about doing His work. Writing this devotional is just one step in that direction; I also have been spending most of the last year in preparation to begin leading a small-group bible study, aimed at high-school age students. I am currently working through two different daily bible reading plans, as well as developing outlines for guided group studies. And I am loving it! The more energy I spend studying God's Word, the more He blesses me with further revelations of His presence and glory, and I am almost giddy with the joy of it all.

I know that I am not the only one blessed in this manner. The Apostle Paul writes in Romans 12 about the different purposes of the various members of the body, and how this is a reflection of the different abilities of the various members of the church. I give glory and praise to God that He has allowed me to see where I fit in, and it is my prayer that each of you might find that same sense of purpose in putting your particular skills to work for the Lord. When I stand before God at the Day of Judgment, and am called to give an accounting, it is my greatest hope to hear Him say, "Well done, My good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord." I hope that for each of you as well. May God bless and keep every one of you, and guide you into His perfect will for you. Amen.