Well Done!

by Monica Phillips (7/1/03)

His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ (Matthew 25:21)

How much I want to hear those words from my Savior!  Do you?

Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. (1 Thess 5:12-13)

There are some people in our midst that seem to understand the eternal rewards of pleasing God by dedicating themselves to excellence.  

Consider the hard work and obvious excellence of the following people in the Bible:  David, Mary, Paul, Timothy, Moses, and Mary Magdalene.  

Also, consider the fifth chapter of Matthew, when Jesus describes the hard work and excellence that Jesus expected out of his disciples.  He completes his teaching with this:

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:48)

Is it only an expectation of the Disciples of Christ?  Yes!  Therefore, it is an expectation for YOU!  If you have indeed accepted Christ as your personal Savior and agree that He will rescue you from the sins you commit and bring you to spend eternity with Him, then you are expected to act and conduct yourself as though you, YOURSELF, were David, Mary, Paul, Timothy, Moses, Mary Magdalene, or any other disciple of Jesus Christ.

God is worthy of our best!  Why should we ever consider giving less than our all to please Him?  It’s all about dedicating ourselves to the best work, best effort, and best attitudes that already dwell in us.  

It is not an issue of time, energy, “feeling like it”, or scheduling.  It is, in fact, an issue of the heart.

Think about where you currently serve God.  What could happen if all the Disciples of Christ on this earth would pursue excellence in their service?  God would bless our efforts with abundance!  We would see more people being saved, more lives being changed, and more disciples serving!  It’s a cycle, huh?

Let’s make a new commitment to each other.  I’ll make mine here; you make yours as you feel led.

“I choose to commit myself to the unrelenting pursuit of God, which includes my most concentrated study, my most devoted prayer, my most focused worship, my most heartfelt fellowship, my most sacrificial ministry, my most excellent service, and my most revealing witnessing.”

I invite you to share with me as you rediscover your passion for excellence and your pursuit of hearing those words, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”