To hear, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant,” you must be profitable, to be profitable you must go beyond being obedient, to go beyond obedience you must fulfill the will of God in every area of your life, you must do all that you do for the glory of God and for the love of the Savior.
“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;” (Eph. 4:11) Not all are called to walk in the footsteps of others, but all are called to remain on the path, to follow the Lord Jesus Christ wherever He leads us.
The epitome of a God-fearing woman is found in Proverbs 31, and my beautiful wife is becoming that woman, though she will not admit it, I doubt many women will. But for the man of God there are many callings, warriors for Christ, leaders of men, everything mentioned in the verse above is not what all men will be, but for those of you who have been called by the Lord to go a little further with Him, you understand this word, frustration.
You speak and they will not listen, you speak, and they hear, but they will not apply, you speak, and they apply, but only for a short time, and then other “pressing matters” begin to take control of their efforts.
Some men are called by the Lord to go apart, alone with Him from the crowd, and thus is the profitable servant made. He becomes consumed with more of the knowledge of the Most High, nothing can sway him from his path, the prize is Christ, there is no other value in his life. The frustration comes from the burden, the burden is the souls of men. “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” (Proverbs 11:30) But beyond reaching out to the lost, there is a burden of those who have been saved, yet seem to become stagnant on the path, not realizing what is awaiting them if they would only persevere.
For those of you who might disagree with this statement, I would direct your attention to nearly every letter written by Paul and his burden for all in those churches. I would ask you to look at the life of Moses in the wilderness, standing in the gap between the Almighty and those stiff-necked people. I would ask you to look at King Solomon, “Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?” (1 Kings 3:9)
Going further solely for the glory of God and the love for the Lord Jesus Christ.
There are crowns waiting for those who will willingly take those extra steps, there are rewards for those who offer all they are, all the time, and only those who have done so will hear “Well done, though good and faithful servant.”
A life devoid of self is impossible while we are in the flesh, but that does not mean that we are to acquiesce to it, to treat this as a lite thing would be a mistake, for many who do so will hear, “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:” (Matt. 25:41)
Women of God are not called as men of God are called, and not all men of God are called the same way. “For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:” (Romans 12:4) Initiative for the glory of God is honored by God, and that man who is faithful in a little will be given more responsibility, and with that responsibility will come additional frustrations. “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.” (1 Cor. 3:6)
None of us are necessary to the eternal plan of the Almighty, but we can ask to be used a little more tomorrow than we were today, and if the asking is solely for His glory, you will be one to hear those words that all long to hear on that day, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” (Matt. 25:21)
