Faithful

Faithful

“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry . . . .” 1 Tim. 1:12.

God requires faithfulness if He is to put someone into the ministry. Many people enter the ministry for God without God having appointed them to it. God has put every one of us in earthly circumstances to test our faithfulness. Only a few people think of this; most people’s attitude toward earthly things is one of indifference. They believe that they can treat them as they wish and still serve God. It is not possible to serve God in this way, even if you are a good speaker and have a keen intellect. It doesn’t help either if you have gone to a Bible school or are a theologian. The mysteries of the kingdom of God have to be given to you, and they are only given to those who are faithful. Mark 4:11-12. So it is rare to hear a preacher who has the revelation of the Spirit. Usually, one only hears their own ideas from them. Now listen to what Jesus has to say about faithfulness:

“He who is faithful in what is least [earthly things are the least] is faithful also in much [spiritual things are much]; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s [God has lent us all the earthly things], who will give you what is your own? . . . You cannot serve God and mammon.” Luke 16:9-13.

God has never called unemployed people into His ministry. The ones He called were all busy in their earthly vocation, and they all faithfully served God with what had been entrusted to them—the things that are least—and so He appointed them to that which is great: being a servant in His kingdom.

“If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” John 3:12.

It is obvious that if we cannot find God’s will in our earthly circumstances, we shall not know His will in spiritual matters. If we do not know how to manage our own house, how can we have a care for God’s church? 1 Tim. 3:4-5. If you are not faithful to your marriage partner, how can you be faithful to Christ? And if you do not love your brother whom you see, how can you love God whom you do not see?

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” Jas. 1:5.

If you desire to be a servant of the Lord you must make every effort to be faithful in the earthly circumstances in which you are and serve the Lord with everything He has given you.

We have one thing in common with the unfaithful steward, which is that we might have to leave our position at any time. However, the unfaithful steward had taken care to prepare for himself a place of refuge. He was that shrewd. Jesus exhorts us to be just as shrewd in using our earthly means to make friends for ourselves—win them for heaven. Soon our earthly means will fail. May we then have many friends to receive us into the everlasting habitations.

Most people don’t know any better than to make themselves enemies by arguing about earthly things. No wonder they do not become servants of the Lord.