Joy From Faithfulness

His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ Matthew 25:21

The singers/popstars that we know, didn’t begin their careers with sell-out concerts in large arenas. Overnight success is a rare thing. Most, in fact, start out in pubs and clubs, or even as a busker. Tracy Chapman, Paolo Nutini, KT Tunstall, and Ed Sheeran all began as street performers. From street to club to small venue to stadium – as they invest in their talent, they see growth.

Yet, while some perform to massive crowds, other perform to half-empty rooms, and the world tends to equate numbers with success – you either have it or you don’t. In the parable of the talents in Matthew 25, Jesus reminds us that everything we have, whether gifts or passions or opportunities, all come from God. Still, even the Christian isn’t immune to measuring their success (or the success of others) by numbers, influence, or visible results. We forget that we are only the vessel – a gateway of God’s grace, and steward of His gifts.

So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. 1 Corinthians 3:7

The servants who received the talents had a choice to either do something with what they had been entrusted with or do nothing. Those who recognised the value of what they had been given, chose to make the most of it.

We may never see the fruit of all our labour, but when our investment is motivated by faithfulness and not personal success, we bring honour glory to God. A faithful servant is what brings joy to the Father. He calls us to obedience and to simply use what He has placed in our hands.

Let us invest in faithfulness, being faithful to the kingdom of God.