Nov. 28 | Application

Be a Faithful Servant

By David Faust

Years ago, while leading a new church in New York, I gave the congregation a little survey. Among other questions, I asked those mostly new believers what the word minister means. Their most common answers were “preacher” and “teacher.” Others wrote “shepherd,” “leader,” and “counselor.” One respondent, I assume a child, wrote “dentist.” I laughed at that one, but there might be some truth in it. Sometimes ministry is like pulling teeth!

Unfortunately, no one answered with the most biblical definition: “servant.” Ministry is every Christian’s responsibility. “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10). The apostle Paul called his friend Tychicus “a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord” (Colossians 4:7). Reader friend, I exhort you to be a faithful servant, too.

Be faithful to the Lord. Guard your character and your state of mind. Don’t compromise your integrity, even in small matters. Remember who you are and whose you are. Above all, follow Jesus.

Be faithful to Scripture. God’s Word is a lamp to your feet. Don’t let Satan dim the light. If the Lord trusts you to lead others, they need to be loved, taught, and challenged, not just pacified and entertained. Resist the pressure to focus on fun and games or the latest social issue. Stay anchored in the book that is “God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16). When you feel exhausted, catch your breath by inhaling the oxygen of God’s inspired Word. Believe it with all your heart. Do your best to live it and pass it along.

Be faithful to your family. Your spouse, children, and grandchildren deserve your best. Your public ministry gains credibility when you demonstrate faithfulness at home.

Be faithful to the church. Devote yourself to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer. Appreciate God’s blessings. Be a generous giver and a team player who encourages others. Make your leaders’ work a joy. Be a friend to those who are often overlooked—the shy, the old, little kids, the socially awkward, people with disabilities, the unpopular, the poor, the neighbor with a questionable reputation. Always keep God’s international family in mind. Pray for and support believers who live in other parts of the world.

Be faithful to your calling. When you serve the Lord, you will be scrutinized and criticized. At times you may be frustrated and disappointed. Often, you will feel tired. Almost always you will be in over your head. You will be “hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9).

Serve the Lord and you won’t be bored. Persevere, and as time passes you will see lives changed by God’s power, lost sheep find safety in the arms of the Good Shepherd, and longtime believers bear the fruit of the Spirit in fresh new ways. As you do your work, it will be “God who works in you” (Philippians 2:13).

Jesus never said, “Be famous.” He never insisted, “Be popular” or “Be successful.” But he did say, “Be faithful, even to the point of death” (Revelation 2:10). The greatest reward will be for the Lord to say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Personal Challenge: In what areas of your life do you need to cultivate greater faithfulness? Think of a person you know who exemplifies faithfulness to the Lord. What qualities do you see in him or her that you want to emulate?