By Mima

Read: Exodus 23:14-25:40, Matthew 24:29-51, Psalm 30:1-12, Proverbs 7:24-27

But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of.
(Matthew 24:48-50)

Relate: My mom once shared a story from her time as a chemical engineer in Jordan, where she worked as a Water Quality Analyst in a government facility. She was the only Christian among her colleagues, all of whom were Muslim; in fact, her boss was an Imam, a Muslim leader who led prayers and provided guidance to the community. Her boss would intermittently drop by to check on his team; my mom’s co-workers were often gossiping and sipping coffee together when he came, while the boss would always find my mom diligently working – either behind a computer or tinkering with some vials. One day, her boss walked upon this same scene and decided to address all his workers. Pointing at my mom, he announced: “Before Allah, among all of you, she is the only faithful engineer here.” This man, an Imam, had taken notice of my mom’s faithfulness, even though she was the only Christian there. My mom’s actions were a testimony within themselves, the way she faithfully worked even in the absence of her boss’s supervision. 

Just like how my mom remained faithful even when nobody was watching, we are called to be faithful to God in every moment of our lives, especially when we face adversity. This mirrors the truth that God’s return will occur at an unexpected time, and it is in this period of seeming silence that we are called to be faithful to Him. When a master entrusts his servant with a task and then departs, it is easy for the servant to be dutiful in this task early on. However, as more time elapses, and the return of the master seems like a distant reality, it is much easier for the servant to be unfaithful, to slack off, and to fall prey to destructive habits. Similarly, it is easy for us to be faithful to God when we are spiritually charged, such as the week after a Bible camp. But when we begin drowning under the continuous pummeling of life’s hurdles when we get consumed by busy schedules, it is much more difficult to stay faithful to what God wills for us; we may give into temptations, destructive behavioral patterns, and fall spiritually complacent. The truest test of our faithfulness emerges during life’s most difficult moments – during these valley-bottom lows – where our spiritual consistency is both challenged and refined, like a piece of metal being forged to perfection.

React: The unpredictable nature of Christ’s return should evoke a sense of urgency within us, prompt us to reflect upon the direction of our lives and question if we, too, have fallen prey to spiritual complacency, and like the unfaithful servant have begun to “eat and drink with the drunkards.” We need to be faithful and vigilant in our spiritual lives at all times, even during the absence of the eyes of our peers. Therefore, let’s evaluate our lives and ask ourselves: Are we being faithful to God in the small things? Are we taking our spiritual disciplines seriously, such as prayer, scripture readings, service, and evangelism? Is our heart posture one of forgiveness and love, even to our enemies, or is it one of bitterness and hatred? Because now is the time to end spiritual complacency and refine our faithfulness in Christ, so that should Christ return today, he would look upon us with approval and say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Respond:

Dear God,
I ask you to make me a faithful servant who brings you honor in my thoughts and actions, whose integrity does not cease when I am alone. God, give me strength to follow your will, your good, pleasing, and perfect will, even when I face adversity and distractions in my life. Thank you for extending your love and mercy to me, so that I have the blessing of being your servant, and You, my Master. We ask this all in Jesus’ name,
Amen.