You Did Well

“The master answered, ‘You did well. You are a good and loyal servant. Because you were loyal with small things, I will let you care for much greater things. Come and share my joy with me.’” Matthew 25:23

It is good to set our sights high, to have lofty dreams and hope to achieve great things in our lives. In fact, Scripture often encourages us with phrases like “Set your mind on things above” and refers to believers as priests and kings. The difficulty lies in the leap we make from the effort needed to accomplish those dreams and the big payoff we are hoping for.

As a sales manager it was interesting to watch the behavior of different employees. There are always a handful of either of two extremes. Some see themselves above doing any menial labor, rarely helping clean the shop or avoiding customers who have more questions than cash. Those on the other end of the spectrum are always ready to lend a hand. They are the first to pick up a paintbrush or assist moving furniture to make room for new staff.

The wise manager keeps an eye out for those who are willing to do the “small things” along with the more thankworthy jobs. The church board member who happily shows up for work day may be in sharp contrast to another who feels such labor is beneath him.

What if you had a guarantee that Father God would say “You did well” to you? Take a moment, turn off any extraneous music or media and imagine His voice. “Dear one, you did well. You have been good and loyal.” We all like to be noticed; we love the compliments that accompany a job well done.

Jesus’ story tells of a master who allots resources to his servants before leaving on a long trip. The first servant receives five bags of gold, the second receives two, and the third, one. Upon returning the master asks about the gold he left with the servants. Both the servant with five bags and the servant with two double their money. The final servant buried the gold and returns the one bag to the master. We’ll leave the last servant for another day.

Jesus has the master say the same thing to both servants; one with five bags and the one with two: “You did well. You are a good and loyal servant.” Jesus wants us to understand that we are only accountable for what God has given to us. If we are Billy Graham, with Billy Graham’s gifts, then the master will want to know how our stadium rallies went.

But, if we are an exquisite cook, with a desire to make people comfortable and happy in our home, the master won’t ask us anything about great crowds. Perhaps he might ask, “How did you use your gift of hospitality for my kingdom?” And, if have opened our home and our heart to people in need, we will hear Him say, “You did well.”

God isn’t primarily looking for people to sell millions of worship songs, build mega-churches, or write the next best-selling devotional book. For one thing, only so many people can do those things. There are only so many books a person can read in a lifetime. What interested the master was that these servants were “loyal with the small things”.

I don’t want to go on a rant, but honestly, many of those who end up on life’s big stage with the floodlight of celebrity shining on them also fail at the small things. The magnetic draw of popularity can distract a person from the “small” things like family. That is what our hearts are so warmed when we hear stories of those in the limelight doing things for the “nobodies”. It is even more uplifting when they are “found out” while trying to keep the good deed private. We smile at the willingness of one with great drawing power doing the “small things”.

So, on the road to fulfilling your dreams, be sure to sweep the kitchen, shovel the next door neighbor’s snow, show up for work day at church and stay late to help the overworked single-parent teacher. Father-God gave you and I a bag full of gold. Some have received more, some less. Some have noticeable gifts, some less apparent. No matter the amount, are you using what Father-God has given you? Can you hear him say, “Good job!”?

It is the one who stays late to do the “little things” who will often be asked to take on the next “big thing”. But, if we think certain tasks are below us, we may never find ourselves promoted at all. And, in God’s kingdom, you can be sure that Father-God is looking for people who take on tasks with the attitude of His Son who, though being God, humbled Himself and became one of us, dying on a cross for each of us.