I think every Christian wants to hear Jesus say to them one day, “Well Done!” I know I do. So, the question becomes… What can I do to make sure I hear those words? Well… it goes back to this parable in Luke 19 – the parable of the 10 servants. A king was leaving town and before he left, he called ten of his servants in and divided among them his wealth. And then he said, “Invest this for me while I’m gone.” In other words, use what I’ve given to you and if you do, you’ll bring forth a huge return for your work. The king did return and for those who invested like he said brought forth a return and they were rewarded for their work. And then they heard him say, “Well Done, my good and faithful servant!”
This parable is for us right now. The King has left and He has promised to return. Before He left, He gave us what was most precious to Him… His Word, the Holy Spirit to help us, and His promises. He also gave each of us gifts. And it is our responsibility to build up the Kingdom with what He’s given to us. I love the different translations of Luke 19:13 (what we are to do when He’s gone)… KJV – Occupy till I come! ESV – Engage in business until I come! NLT – Invest this for me while I’m gone! NIV – Put this money to work until I come back! Don’t you love it? It all means the same thing but just said in a little different way.
So, what does all this mean? It means that we are to build up the Kingdom, standing side-by-side with those who have gone before us. This is the most important work we can do. It means that I point the way to Jesus, I speak His Word into people’s lives, I walk humbly – not saying “Oh, look what I’ve done! But “Oh, look what He’s done!” It means that I work at building up the Kingdom every day, not just on Sundays. It means that I live to bring glory to God by my actions and with my words.
It means that I love because He first loved me. It means that I encourage, build up, and walk side-by-side with those who are weaker. It means that I live by faith, not by sight. It means that I measure myself by the Word of God, not others. It means that I seek to please Him in everything I do. It means that I set a godly example for others to follow.
Here’s the thing… if we “invest” now, we will hear those words “Well Done, my good and faithful servant!” And great rewards await us. I do not think that we are to ever walk into retirement when it comes to the Kingdom work. Time is of the essence and we need to work hard. Let’s occupy, engage in business, and put to work what God has entrusted to us. By doing this we’ll reap unbelievable rewards. We can know with certainty that He IS coming back. Do I hear an AMEN?