As a new day and week gets started, the question for us is, “Will we be Faithful versus Unfaithful not Perfect versus Imperfect?”
We often get discouraged as Christ-followers when we are not perfect. We live each day aware of God’s holiness and the demand for holiness (1 Pet 1:15). Yet, we also understand our own sin, weaknesses, and struggles. This battle plays out each day in our souls where we desire to do what honors the Lord while continuing to fail in various ways. Although we want to live perfect, we do not.
God knows we are not perfect. In fact, Jesus came as the wrath-bearing sacrifice for our sins for that very reason. We sin. However, the atonement covers our sins of the past, present, and future. For that, we gratefully and humbly rejoice.
So what about living today for the glory of God?
Faithful versus Unfaithful not Perfect versus Imperfect
As Jesus taught the disciples in this parable toward the end of His time with them, we seek to learn from Jesus’ words related to this issue. He told them of the King who left for a far country for an undisclosed time. He gave 10 different servants 4 months wage (1 mina) each and asked them to use it for business. Upon his return, the King called them in to see what they had done with their mina. Although the third servant came in and explained he had hidden his mina so that he did not lose any of it, that was not true of the first two that reported. Jesus explained:
15 “And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. 16 Then came the first, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned ten minas.’ 17 And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.’ 18 And the second came, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned five minas.’ 19 Likewise he said to him, ‘You also be over five cities.’ (Luke 19:15-19)
Notice that Jesus highlighted “you were faithful.”
I submit for your contemplation the fact that Jesus made the issue of the King faithful versus unfaithful not perfect versus imperfect.
Faithful not Perfect
In this parable, the King rewarded both servants who had been faithful the same.
Were the faithful in the exact same way? No. One had made 1000% profit and the other 500% profit. Yet, both received the King’s pleasure and were rewarded with additional responsibility. Further, the King mentioned their faithfulness, not their perfection.
Friends, as you go out today, remember that God desires for you to be faithful. You will not be perfect – Jesus has you covered for that. But you still should be faithful.
Image Credit Jessica Lewis
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