Faithful Stewards

Faithful Stewards

“Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.” 1 Cor. 4:1-2.

Christ searches and tests every single believer in the hope of finding faithful stewards for His deep and abounding mysteries which have been hidden from the ages, and for His manifold wisdom, which He now wants to make known by the church to the principalities and powers in heavenly places.

Such servants and stewards are required to be faithful. They must close the door to this world once and for all and abide in God’s secret counsel, and there gain wisdom. Job 15:8.

Wisdom is not gained cheaply; it must be bought with everything we possess. It must be acquired by an intense prayer-life that arises from a deep hunger, poverty, and self-acknowledgment. In this state we can grow in the grace and knowledge of God in relation to our faithfulness. The least amount of unfaithfulness in our spirit weakens the sensitive intimacy with God in our inner man.

This is difficult for others to notice who are on the outside, but you clearly notice it within yourself. You may have even totally fallen away in your heart and be spiritually dead and still have a name that you are alive, just like the angel of the church in Sardis.

The reason that there are so very few stewards and servants among the many believers is because of a lack of faithfulness in their spirit. They do not endure in this constant fight of faith in the hidden where there is no breathing space for the flesh. They float back up to the surface where they can breathe again and can admire and enjoy the things of this world. Most people are content in this state, with their heads above the water. They can profess to be Christians and at the same time pursue their interests in all the things of this world. Relatives and old friends according to the flesh also think this is all right, since they can still maintain contact. But on the day the believer chooses to dive under and disappear from the surface there is consternation on land. Imagine never to see their dear son or daughter alive, and never have contact or fellowship with them again!

These are terrifying moments for those who are on land, and in particular for the one who is under the water. He will become aware of the strong upward current; but with faith, hope, and love as anchors he will continue to sink deeper down. It will certainly be a hard battle to the death, because death has already begun to take hold, but afterwards it will be all the more blessed; for he who loses his own life will find the life of Christ, and this new creation swims just as naturally in God’s will as a fish in water.

When you are under the water, natural men no longer understand you; you become a mystery to them. In their eyes it is folly that you really have to go so far in your Christian life that you have to die to be a Christian. You become a completely new man whom they do not recognize any more—someone whom they no longer understand or comprehend.

In this misunderstood state we receive a white stone with a new name that no one knows except the one who has received it. When we have received it, we smile with contentment under the thickest cover of reproach.

Stewards are required to be faithful. They must never again stick their heads above water to get a breath of air according to the flesh, or look around for the things of this world. It should be understood that he who looks back cannot be Jesus’ disciple and is not fit for the kingdom of heaven. All our interests must be down in the depths. There we find the most precious pearls and an abundance of hidden treasure, which we receive so that we can be stewards over them.

It is not easy for people to see what these heroes of faith are doing down there in the depths; however, everyone can see what those whose heads are above water are doing.

Paul was so hidden to the Corinthians that they even required proof that Christ spoke through him. On the other hand, they looked up to the deceitful workers as great spiritual people who labored and did much. When they spoke it was mainly to glorify themselves by enthusiastically speaking about their glorious experiences. The Corinthians were fooled by all this, with the result that they despised Paul who in his weakness proclaimed the gospel of the cross.

In order to open the Corinthians’ eyes to this deception, Paul also began to relate his experiences, and it became evident that he did not lag behind the others in anything. If Paul had wanted to travel around speaking about himself, he would have gathered large crowds to hear his interesting and suspenseful travel experiences. But Paul had something altogether different in mind with his preaching. He gave birth to each disciple with pain, until Christ was formed in him. In this he labored as a faithful steward without seeking honor or gain from people. When Paul wanted to speak a little bit about his experiences—like the deceitful workers did—he would speak about totally different things from what they could relate. Paul boasted of his weakness, and then he related how he proclaimed the gospel to them without charge by working with his own hands and not being a burden to any of them. He had often experienced sleeplessness, he had been in hunger, in thirst, in fastings often, in cold, etc., etc.; and besides all this there was that which came upon him daily: his deep care for all the churches.

Even now these deceitful workers travel around and speak about their experiences, and at the same time point their fingers at the true and faithful servants and stewards of Christ, saying that there isn’t much happening among them. In our days most religious people are just as carnal as the Corinthians and are deceived by these big boasters.

If the true stewards of our days would begin to speak, their experiences in Christ would more than overshadow the things the others use to exalt themselves according to the flesh.