Last week, I promised you that I would share with you what I learned after missing a day of study. The study that I missed focused on Jesus preaching that no-one would know the day or the hour when He would return. Matthew’s account (24:36-51) — goes into the most detail of the three gospels that touch on this subject and He concludes the passage with an interesting idea. You can read it here to refresh your memory.
The verse that stood out to me was verse 46, and it says that servants are fortunate if the master returns to find them working—“doing their job”. Verse 45 gives us insights that some servants were “head” servants and were responsible for organizing and caring for their other servants—a hierarchy of sorts—and the verses before verse 45 give the context that this refers to how we interact with each other while Jesus is gone. When Jesus—our master—returns, will he find us doing our job?
What really stood out to me was how each servant had a job—a role—in the kingdom. There were some servants who were in charge of other servants, but really they are all servants—they are all equal. More responsibility equals more service. However, what happens when a servant looks over at another servant and starts to envy the other servant’s role or task? How do you think the master should look at a servant who is envious of another servant’s role? What happens if a servant wants a different role so badly that they just start doing the role they want without having any training, talent, or skill-set? When the master returns, will this servant be “doing their job”?
This phrase jumped out at me, because it has the logic that we all have a part to play—we all are significant in God’s plan. In addition, it states the truth that we have a specific purpose for our lives. So, it would be wise for us to learn what our ‘job’ is.
Some people will focus on the concepts that we are all to love each other, make disciples, and love God, and these are all good things, however it doesn’t completely fit with this illustration, because in this illustration, each servant has been given a different responsibility. What’s your responsibility?
If you don’t know what your ‘job’/calling/purpose is, perhaps now would be a good time to think about that. If you have absolutely no clue where to begin, why not look at what you are good at, what your interests are, and what you have done recently that has given you genuine joy. It is true that God equips the called—which means that He gives us everything that we need to fulfill the purpose He planned for us. If we have no idea what that is, perhaps we can start by looking at what He has blessed us with.
Do you have the ability and enjoy singing or playing an instrument? Fixing a car? Working with numbers? Solving problems? Listening and caring for someone in need?
All of these things are ways where you can live out your calling. ‘Working for God’ is another way of saying ‘working in a way that serves others—with their interests first’. Working for God means that you serve without expecting rewards here on earth because God sees everything that we do, and He will reward us in greater ways when we get to heaven than we could ever be rewarded here on earth.
So when Jesus returns, will He catch working at the job that He called you to?
~Cam
P.S. Did I miss something, or would you like to respond on this topic? Join the conversation below!