Servants #6—Responsible Servants

Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? … Truly I say to you, that the master will put him in charge of all his possessions. Matthew 24:45–47

In the Kingdom of God faithful service is recognized and rewarded. The Master loves those who have the same priorities he has. He loves those who share his concerns: He is concerned that his people receive what they need to thrive; he is concerned that his people not be anxious; he is concerned that his people perceive him as powerful, wise and good. So he wants us to be faithful in the execution of the responsibilities he’s given each of us; faithfulness to him shows up as faithfulness to his vision for his people. In the Kingdom of God sensible service is recognized and rewarded. Thoughtfully reasoned service must be integrated with faithful service. Faithfulness is required, but that’s not all. Jesus never commends the foolishly faithful. So we would be wise to develop discerning minds if we expect to succeed in providing others in the kingdom with appropriate resources at the appropriate time: We must ask ourselves what will cause those we’re serving to mature to the point where their confidence in God is on the same level as their knowledge of God.

Righteous Master, I want to please you as I serve your people. Strengthen me, so I remain faithful to your agenda. Teach me, so I bring in the right resources at the right time. Amen.