Being Faithful Over a Few Things

Matthew 25:21

21 His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'

                I have been mulling over being a servant for about the past month or so, and God keeps highlighting scriptures to me that give me hope to keep pressing forward. I am not going to lie I have been a bit frustrated with where I am at right now. I seem to have a large vision which God has given me, but no immediate goal set before me. Matthew 25:21 is showing that when you are faithful over a few and what seem to minor things, He will make you a ruler over many things. I have taken a position as a youth pastor at Touched By Grace recently, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to pour into the one youth that we have. It is a privilege to water good seed in the generation that will precede me. In fact, that is the way the Body should be. We as elders should mentor the ones that are younger not only in age, but in the Lord as well. What I have been having a hard time with is the fact that I have this great vision that God has given me on what He wants to accomplish through me, and the vision seems nowhere in sight. It is amazing how our lives parallel in different seasons to different scriptures. God has been saying to me be faithful with what I have given you at this moment, for when you prove your faithfulness there is when more will come. The parable that Jesus was speaking in Matthew 25 was one of the talents. One servant was given 5 talents, the other two talents, and the other one talent. When the master came back to see what they had done with the talent that was given to them the one that had 5 multiplied it as did the servant that was given 2. On the other hand, the servant that was given 1 talent squandered their talent and buried it in fear of losing it. The person with 5 talents then got the servant’s one talent. I write all of that to say that it does not matter what God has given you in this season of your life. What matters is what you do with the talent or favor that He has extended to you. If you want more responsibility you must be faithful with what He has given you now without complaining, but with a heart of joy.

                Another person God highlighted in the Word to me about all this was the story of Stephen. He popped up somewhere in Acts 6, and died at the end as a martyr at the end of Acts 7. At the beginning of Acts 6 the disciples were getting complaints from the Hellenists that their widows were not being fed. The disciples did not have time to do this so they had to delegate to the task to others. They chose 7 men that had to be full of the Holy Spirit, one of which was mentioned was Stephen. In fact in Acts 6:5 it says that Stephen was a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit. It did not mention such things about any of the other men. Stephen’s ministry started out with serving widows food eat. Here is this man that is full of the Holy Spirit that was likely there on the Day of Pentecost serving widows food. It did not say he complained about doing so, but did what God gave him to do at the time. Stephen was proven faithful with what God had given to him. Stephen had a fire shut up in his bones and did not allow what he was given to do stop him from what the Spirit unctioned him to do. In Acts 6:8 is reads, “And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.” Here was a man that was faithful and fed widows now performing signs and wonders among the people. His faith even goes further than that. In the end of Acts 6 people grew upset with Stephen and plotted against him. They took him to court and had others lie against him and say that he was blaspheming God. Through the court process He basically read them the Word from the beginning all the way up to the point where he called all of the murderers of Christ. He did not hold back one bit to let these men know that they were trapped in the law of religion. He stood up for what He believed in, and who he had faith in. At the end of Acts 7 the people grew so angry with him they gnashed their teeth against him, and began to stone him. As the stone were hitting the face of this man that had the appearance of an angel (Acts 6:15) he saw open heaven and Jesus standing, not sitting, at the right hand of God. He was so faithful with what God gave him that He caused Jesus to stand up off the throne as if He was giving Stephen a standing ovation for his faithfulness. Stephen then did something more amazing than that he asked God to forgive the ones that were murdering him for they did not know what they were doing. This is such an amazing two chapters about a man that was a waiter to widows.  Stephen went from serving tables, to seeing open heavens, to having Jesus giving him a standing ovation for his faithfulness. It made me realize more it is not what God has given me now that matters, it is what I do with what He gives me. I find great importance in everything I do for Him, whether it be teaching or taking out the trash. Each task that is assigned to me is something that is given for me to prove myself faithful with a heart of joy. I am just thrilled that God has given me such an opportunity as He has, to help shape the very future of this generation.

There are so many stories in the Word that show this very idea. David had to be faithful with little before he became King. In fact, he had opportunities to take things in his own hands to become King by killing Saul but waited for God’s timing. Can you imagine what would have happened if David would have killed Saul and became King before his time? Would Jesus have been of the seed of David or somebody else? Each step in David’s life shows that he had to be given little before he was able to rule a kingdom. Another person I think of is Elisha. Elisha followed around Elijah for years on end, and there was no record at all that he was ministering or performing any type of miracle. I know he was sitting on the sidelines chomping at the bit, waiting for his opportunity to be used by God. He too waited for God’s timing and was faithful with what God gave him. He was to learn under Elijah before he could get a double portion of what Elijah had. It wasn’t until Elijah left that Elisha was able to start his ministry, and that was because he would not have had the double portion otherwise. Again, I cannot fathom what would have happened had Elisha not waited, and proved himself faithful.

Here we have a man that went from a waiter to a martyr, another man that went from a shepherd to a King, and another man that went from a student to a prophet of double portion all by being faithful with the little that God had given to them. This past month has taught me so much about how it is to be a servant, and how we need to be patient and wait on God’s timing for everything. I find great joy in being able to serve others with the knowledge that I am doing it from a heart of love, and that I am being faithful with what God has for me in this season. Yes I want more, but that is a natural desire of our hearts. God has put that desire for more in our Spirit so when the time comes we will be ones that are on fire with the vision that He supplanted in us.

Lord I pray that You continue to give us direction with where we are supposed to go. I pray that You give us ears to hear, and that we can discern Your voice. Let us hear You clearly and obey You promptly. Teach us how to be joyous and faithful with what You have given us in this season of our lives. I know the new season is here, but I ask that You give us a fresh vision of what it to come in the days ahead. I pray from open heavens of the Body in this season. I pray that we soak in Your wisdom, knowledge, and revelation. I pray that we are found faithful in Your eyes, and that we can be the Kings that You have set us out to be. Continue to mold us Lord into the perfect vessels you see us as. I love You. I worship You. I magnify Your Holy name Father. I love Your beautiful splendor, and I seal this prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen!