Jesus told a parable in Matthew 25 to illustrate how we would be evaluated by our heavenly Father. It is known as the Parable of the Talents. In the story a rich man went on a journey and entrusted differing amounts of money to his servants. When he returned, he rewarded the servants based on their faithfulness, not their success. He said to the faithful ones, "Well done, good and faithful slave; you were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things, enter into the joy of your master." One had gained more than the other, but both were rewarded for their faithfulness. If we would receive this kind of reward, we must be faithful.
As Christians, our lives proclaim our Lord’s power. What are some of the areas in which we must exhibit faithfulness? Let me suggest several ways in which we must be faithful as believers.
Be True To Your Word – Be a Person God and Others Can Count On – Be Dependable
We must be true to our word. It is our bond! Jesus told us in Matthew 5:37 to let our yes be yes and our no be no. In other words, people should be able to count on what we say.
Often, we say we will do things we either do not intend to do or are not able to do. Sometimes we do this in order to put people off. We tell our employer we will have it done tomorrow. We tell our wife we will fix it next week. We tell our children we will do it this weekend. But we must be careful. Someone has said that the number one problem in parent/child relationships is resentment and the number one cause of resentment is broken promises.
But we should be dependable because people should be able to count on us. If you are dependable then you do not have to convince people that you will do what you say. You do not have to swear you will do it. You do not have to say "Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye."
Because you have been faithful in what you say, people will know they can count on you. As you are faithful over a period of time, you will become know for your dependability.
Honor Your Marriage – Marriage is a Cornerstone of God’s Blessing for the WorldTo be faithful, you must honor your marriage. When we stand before God at the altar, we vow that we will be faithful to each other in marriage. Many people simply interpret that vow as a vow to avoid adultery. But you can be unfaithful without committing adultery. When you allow other things to chip away at your marriage relationship, you are moving towards unfaithfulness. You must guard your marriage relationship. It is a precious gift from God. Act in love always.
Hebrews 13:4 reads, "Let marriage be held in honor among all." If we are to honor our marriage relationship and live in it in such a way that it is honored by all, then we must take it seriously. Honor means "to hold in respect." If we hold our marriage in respect and want others to hold marriage in respect then we will honor our commitment and be true to our marriage vows.
Use Your God Given Talents, and Your Spiritual Gifts, to Build Up and Encourage OthersY
You must also use your talents if you would be faithful. Do not sit on them. Let yourself be used by God, in however small a way at first. As you are faithful and learn to work with other Christians and follow the leaders God has chosen, you will be given more and more to do for Him. Listen to these words in 1 Peter 4:10: "As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." We are to use those gifts which God has given us in faithful service to one another. Don’t hide them. USE THEM!
Not all of us have the same gifts. None of us have all the gifts. But each of us has as least a gift. God has called us to be faithful in using the gift or gifts we have. To faithfully use our talents means that we use what we have. It doesn't mean that we do what we can't do or that we use what we don't have. God has not called us to do it all. But He has called us to use what He has given us. Someone said that we can't all be brilliant, but we can all be faithful.
Guard Your Tongue – What You Say Can Be a Blessing, or a Curse. Choose Blessing!
If we are going to be considered faithful people, then we must guard our speech. Guard your tongue. Words are powerful, and they have a powerful impact on other people. Being faithful to God means that we must watch what we say. In fact, I believe that it is important to watch not only what we say but how we say it. Words have the power to build up, or to tear down. Words have the power to encourage, or to destroy. How are you using your words?
The book of James has much to say on the power of the tongue. Read that book if you want a clear understanding on how we need to guard our words. In James 3 we read that with the tongue “we bless our Lord and Father, and with it curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren these things ought not to be this way" (v. 8-10). Watch what you say. Give other folks the benefit of the doubt. Do not jump to conclusions and fly off the handle. Be patient and forgiving and loving.
If we are going to be considered faithful then we must be faithful in the use of our words. We must use words to build up one another. We must use words to encourage one another. We must speak to others, and about one others as God would have us speak. We must guard our tongue.
Manage Your Money – Your Money Can Be a Means of God’s Blessing
If we are to be faithful we must manage our money. I do not mean that we must simply control our money. I mean that we must control it in a godly way. The Bible teaches that we are merely stewards of what we have, not owners. God has given us material resources and we must handle them in such a way that God is glorified. In Luke 16:11 we read, "If therefore you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous mammon, who will entrust the true riches to you?"
This is quite an amazing statement. In other words, if you are not faithful with money, God will not trust you with spiritual things. The way you handle your finances will determine whether God can use you and what God can do in your life. If God cannot trust you with material wealth, He will never trust you with spiritual wealth. Are you being faithful with your money?
Be Committed To Your Church -- You May Be the Blessing the Church Needs
To be faithful means that we must committed to our church. God has called each believer to be identified with a biblical fellowship of believers called a church. Nowhere in the New Testament is there this idea that Christians can just float around without becoming committed to a local church. It is in this committed relationship that God works out His will in our lives. It is because of this committed relationship that we can accomplish His work in the world.
The Bible tells us that we are in a spiritual struggle. We are in a war with the enemy and as believers we are compared to soldiers. We have joined God's army. The sad thing about the church is that while the battle is being fought many of the soldiers are AWOL.
If we would be found faithful, then we must be faithful to one another as well as to God. Jesus said in John 13:35, "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." In Romans 12:5 we read, "So we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another." Don’t judge others. Pray for them. Be an example.
This is what it means to be identified with a local church as a committed member. It is a commitment to one another, to love one another, to share with one another, to care for one another. Become a true participant, not a spectator; a contributor, not merely a consumer. Can the Lord count on you? Can other believers count on you? Are you someone that your pastor can depend on? Do you think of others first? Are you committed where God has planted you!
Jesus is coming again. With Him, He will bring His reward. It is my prayer that we will all hear the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful in a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord." (Matt. 25:23)
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