Faithful in little, rewarded with more

"Well done, my good and faithful servant." 

These words are a powerful and familiar motivation for us to live faithfully in obedience to His Word, but they are one of the many verses in the Bible that are so highlighted that we forget what comes before and after it (anyone know John 3:15 and 17?).

Actually, this verse is presented in both the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25 and the Parable of the Minas in Luke 19. 

• "His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’" (Matthew 25:21)
• "And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’" "‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away." (Luke 19:17, 26)

In this format you'll see that the similarities are not only "well done, good and faithful servant" but that the servant was faithful over little, and was then rewarded with more. Matthew 25:29 reiterates "For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance." 

An abundance of what? Authority. The faithful servant will be set over more to steward for the glory of God. The idea that we will be given more to steward should remind us that we are here now with the responsibility of stewarding that which we currently have authority over not for our own goals, but for the kingdom of God. As servants of the King we begin now to do the work we will continue to do in eternity, which is to rule over that which we've been given in faithful obedience. 

I won't dip into eschatology here to consider what we'll be ruling over exactly, but God's Word is clear that believers will rule. These passages, as well as a description of another faithful and wise servant in Matthew 24, tell us that we ought to be found doing what the master set us to do when he comes back. For he too, when found faithfully doing this work, would then be set over all the master's possessions.

If I'm being honest, I'm not super motivated by this idea of being given an abundance more to rule over for the glory of God, but the pattern is undeniable in these texts. Jesus the King offers it to me as an incentive to be about my master's business with the little I currently have authority over. And perhaps if I loved the glory of God more, I would indeed delight to enter into the joy of having more, having an abundance to bring him glory with. 

So let me be awake and ready. Let me watch for my Master's return. Let me be about his business, bringing into submission my mind, my body, my heart, my all to love God and obey his commands. Let me guard the good deposit I've been given of God's Word, and bear the fruit of good works unto the praise and adoration of God's name. 

And when I go home or my master returns, let me have a heart that says, "I am an unworthy servant, I have only done what was my duty" (Luke 17:10) for truly it is my privilege to live as a slave of righteousness in the glorious Kingdom of God.  

What is the matter of relationships?

What is the matter of relationships? Like what is the stuff it’s made of? 

In childhood, cooking up relationships is like growing chia pets. Throw some water and sun on school, church, and extra curricular activities and with almost zero effort, boom you have friendships. The friendship is made up of being in the same places at the same times together, and memories ensue. 

As an adult who has been blessed with both just-for-that-season friendships and decades long ones, I find myself surprised now by what actions, events, and exchanges make up those relationships. 

Some snapshots of my friends:

• preparing all the stages of bread-making ahead of time to teach me when I came over for a playdate
• coming to my mom’s house after my dad died with fruits, chatting on our couch and cutting the fruits up for her
• texting my mom happy Mother’s Day and leaving her flowers
• catching up on the phone while I run errands, even though I regrettably am only able to offer a portion of my attention
• writing a letter to me warning me of the dangers of replacing my affections for my husband with adoration for my baby
• buying a gift for my son because it reminded you of him and you knew he’d enjoy it 
• texting me at the top of every month to ask how you can be praying for me this month
• confessing sin to one another and remembering to truly pray and hold each other accountable 
• letting me sit on your couch and cry after hearing criticism and sharing your own ministry hurts and wisdom while holding my sleeping baby
• and of course in CA, driving, driving through traffic, driving long distances with exorbitant gas prices, just to hang out with me and my boys in our little living room, making small talk with my four year old while I put the baby down for his nap 

Boy, are these adult friendships different. 

Especially as a mom, I can’t sit over coffee and offer you my full attention for hours on end anymore. I can’t join you for a spontaneous girls’ getaway to the beach. I can’t have lunch together every day and hear story after story while getting you cold water mixed with some hot because I remember cold by itself makes your teeth hurt. I miss it all dearly, because as one who once prided herself in being a good friend, I so wish I still could. 

But growing up means change, and a growing family means that every withdrawal of my time, money, and energy has a direct effect on them. So I look fondly on the old stuff of relationships from younger seasons and tuck them away in my mental keepsake box. 

The new stuff, the new matter, looks like knowing someone thought of me. Knowing someone prayed for me. Knowing someone prepared for me, took the risk to challenge me in love, and knew me well enough to do so. And these are what I strive to do in turn for my friends. 

To all who are stumbling their way through developing friendships as adults, consider these ways to slowly make the deposits that build up into flourishing friendships. It’s not measured solely by time (though time is a great gift to a friend as well), but also by intention. 

Make the conversations count. Remember what they shared last time. Take that extra little step to make sure your friend knows you care. Bake the muffins, make the visit, show up. It may be just one day or one conscious effort, but when you look back over the years you’ll see that just a handful of moments can make up the matter of a beautiful friendship, and for that you will be grateful. I know I sure am.