Faithful Servants

Years ago I took a little survey and asked people to write down on a piece of paper what the word "minister" means. The most common answers were "preacher" and "teacher." The rest were an interesting assortment of definitions: "apostle," "shepherd," "leader," "counselor." One person, I assume a child, wrote "dentist." I laughed at that one, but then upon further reflection I realized there might be some truth in it. Sometimes ministry is like pulling teeth!

Curiously, though, no one answered my survey with the most biblical definition of all: "servant." Christ calls all of us to minister in his name. "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering 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). How can you and I be faithful servants, too?

Be faithful to the Lord. Guard your character, your devotional life, and your state of mind. Don't compromise your integrity, even in small matters. Remember who you are and whose you are. Don't get so caught up in the latest church trends that you forget what it's all about. Keep your eyes on Jesus.

Be faithful to the Word. God's Word won't be a lamp to your feet if you let distractions dim the light. People with itchy ears will want to be soothed and entertained when they need to be stretched and challenged. Others will want you to focus on fun and games or the latest social issue. Stay anchored to the Bible. "All Scripture is God-breathed" (2 Timothy 3:16). When you feel exhausted, catch your breath by gulping down the oxygen of God's truth. Believe it with all your heart. Keep learning it, living it, and passing it along.

Be faithful to your family. Don't let your loved ones down. Your public ministry gains credibility when you demonstrate faithfulness in your home.

Be faithful to the church. Build it up, never tear it down. Devote yourself to the apostles' teaching, fellowship, communion, and prayer. Be a friend and encourager—a team player with a positive attitude. Never be a whiner. Make your leaders' work a joy. Notice the people who often get overlooked—the shy, the old, the little kids, the socially awkward, the disabled, the homely, the poor, the people with a bad reputation. If you don't love them, who will? Never get caught up in the politics of playing to the crowd. Be humble. Don't consider yourself more important than you are.

Be faithful to your calling. If you serve the Lord, you will be analyzed and criticized. Sometimes you'll feel frustrated. Often you'll feel tired. Almost always you'll feel that you're in over your head. You will be "hard pressed on every side, but not crushed." You will be "perplexed, but not in despair." You will be "persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed" (2 Corinthians 4:8, 9).

You'll seldom be bored. You'll see lives changed by the power of God. You'll see people saved from sin. You'll see lost sheep find safety in the arms of the Good Shepherd. You'll see long-time Christians bear the fruit of the Spirit in a fresh new way. As you do your work, it will really be "God who works in you" (Philippians 2:13).

Jesus never said, "Be famous." He never said, "Be popular." He never even said, "Be successful." But he said, "Be faithful even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life" (Revelation 2:10).