Christians desire to hear “Well done, my good and faithful servant” at the end of their life. But how do we accomplish this?
A Summary of the Parable of the Talents
The parable of the talents is depicted in Matthew 25:14-30 to illustrate the Kingdom of Heaven and how to please the Master.
The master called three of his servants together before he went away on a long trip.
The first servant received five bags of silver, which he took, invested, and earned five more.
The master praised the first servant and told him, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” He told him that he was proud of him for handling that small amount of resources well. The first servant received the most out of the three servants and yet it was still considered a small amount by the master. Then, the master promised to give him more resources and responsibility.
The second servant received two bags of silver, went to work, and earned two more.
The master again said, “Well done, my good and faithful servant,” and promised to give him more resources and responsibilities.
The third servant received one bag of silver, dug a hole, and hid it there. He gave the master an excuse. He had been afraid that he might lose the money, so he didn’t do anything with it.
The master replied that he was a wicked and lazy servant for not even trying and gave the money to the first servant.
It’s Easy to Not Feel Good Enough
Sometimes, I worry that I might be behaving like the third servant, and this thought scares me. Fear can scare me away from doing things that I know I should do. But when I take a closer look at the third servant’s response, I see that he wasn’t just fearful. He also believed wrong things about his master. God doesn’t harvest where He doesn’t plant, and He doesn’t gather where He doesn’t sow seed. We cannot do anything worthwhile without using the resources He gives, and He gives us every resource we have. I do have a truthful view of God even though, in my flesh, I am still working on overcoming fear and procrastination.
When we don’t feel good enough, we need to check our hearts and motives to see if we have a devotion problem or a fear problem. Eleven of the twelve disciples had a fear problem because Jesus was calling them out of their comfort zones. God works through our fears by getting us to take steps of obedience in spite of those fearful feelings. But Judas may have had a devotion problem. He may have wanted to follow Jesus but couldn’t get out of his love of worldly things.
What Do We Do to Hear ‘Well Done’?
The basic idea of the parable is that we need to use the resources we’ve been given well. When we do, we’ll be given more. And if we’re given much, more is required of us. If we do nothing, we risk having the little we have taken from us. Even when our reason for doing nothing is fear, that is not a good excuse not to try. After all, if we’re not attempting to use something, we don’t really need it, and therefore, it’s a waste for us to have it.
Our resources are gifts that we have received. They include our abilities, money, skills, fame, prestige, influence, and even our lives. A good steward finds ways of using any resource he has been given to further his Master’s mission.
Our gifts are given in proportion to our abilities and our lot in life. Different people receive different gifts and assignments. We are only required to do what is in our particular space and time. We won’t be held accountable for the entire world’s problems. Only the areas that touch us.
In Matthew 24, we learn more about what a faithful servant is. He is one who takes on the responsibility of serving and feeding other servants. The faithful servant always remembers that his master is returning, and he needs to keep on helping his fellow servants. In the same way, we, too, must always keep watch because we don’t know which day our Lord is returning. But we need to be ready when He does. We remain ready and active because we don’t know when our Lord is coming back. We also don’t know when our life is going to end. No one is promised tomorrow.
We need to make every effort to lead a life worthy of our callings, for we have indeed been called by God (Ephesians 4:1). We need to stay faithful, fight feelings of fear, and overcome procrastination so we can live out our days in our brief lives as a good steward.
Believe in Jesus to Learn to Be Like Him
We also need to remember that when John the Baptist baptized Jesus, the Spirit of God’s voice said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy” (Matthew 3:16-17). Becoming like Jesus is an integral part of the Father being well-pleased with you. When you believe in God’s one and only Son’s atonement for your sins, you are united with Christ Jesus and therefore made right with God (1 Corinthians 1:30). When God looks at you, He sees His Son, in whom He is well-pleased.
Being a faithful servant isn’t only about resources and skills, although these are good ways to serve God and other people. A faithful servant is also entrusted with a mission. We are called to speak God’s Word to others. We are called to share our testimonies about God. We are called to forgive other people often. And we are called to love and care for our neighbors. When we do these things, we are storing up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21). So, when we work hard to do good and godly things in this life, we won’t necessarily need to give a verbal account to God. He will know because He will see our “storage locker” in heaven. Each good and godly deed builds heavenly treasure in our “lockers.” Make it your goal to see that “locker” full and overflowing with the fruits of your labors on earth.
Remember, There’s a Balance Between Work and Rest
Does this mean that we should work relentlessly and subscribe to the current hustle culture? Of course not! Rest has always been an important mark of humility for us to live out.
We live out a balance between Colossians 3:23-24 and Matthew 11:28-30. We work willingly at whatever we do, as though we are working for the Lord rather than for people. We remember that there are rewards for serving Christ (Colossians 3:23-24). But then we also come to Jesus regularly (through the Word of God) so He can ease our weary burdens and give us rest and healing to continue on. We let Him teach us the balance between work and rest. His yoke is easy, and His burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30).
We work willingly as a sign of gratitude for what Christ did for us, but we also sit at His feet and learn to be more like Him. Then the Father will be well-pleased with you and say, “Well done, My good and faithful servant.” What a great day that will be!
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Jennifer Heeren loves to write and wants to live in such a way that people are encouraged by her writing and her attitude. She loves to write devotional articles and stories that bring people hope and encouragement. Her cup is always at least half-full, even when circumstances aren’t ideal. She regularly contributes to Crosswalk. Her debut novel is available on Amazon. She lives near Atlanta, Georgia with her husband. Visit her at her website and/or on Facebook.