Before Apostle Paul departed to be with heaven, he told Timothy, ‘I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing’ (2 Timothy 4: 7-8).
This is what all believers should aim for, knowing that they have lived a life they can present boldly in front of Jesus – that is what we are here for; this is not a show or a guessing game, but matters of eternity! Many start well, but how many will stay the course until the very end? The standard is very high, Jesus showed this – demonstrating that unless a man places God as his top priority above all else, he is not fit for the kingdom (Luke 9:57-62; Mark 7:10-13; Luke 14: 25-33; Matthew 16:24-26).
Jesus expects us to regard Him above all things, and according to Him, there should be nothing that stands above our commitment to Him – therein do we prove ourselves as genuine disciples. Jesus cautioned that all who desire to follow Him ought to calculate the cost of their decision, being clearly aware of all that lies ahead so as to ensure that they prepared to finish the journey they have started (Luke 14:28).
Apostle Paul called John Mark profitable for the work of the ministry (2 Timothy 4:11); which should be the goal of every disciple of Jesus. To be beneficial to the work of the kingdom, not a cheerleader and bystander, but a soldier that can be called upon for the advancement of the purposes of God.
Mark was not always the most faithful disciple (Acts 15:36-41); but he grew into one who proved his commitment valuable to Apostle Paul’s ministry. Apostle Paul near his death also longed for the things most dear to him, the Word of God being at the top of this list (2 Timothy 4:13). This is another characteristic of a disciple – a passionate lover of the Word, a pillar in our lives and a guide to our paths.
Additionally, the apostle told Timothy, ‘And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also’ (2 Timothy 2:2). He did not say the most ‘gifted men’, but he said faithful men – those who are committed, available and teachable.
This does not refer to those who are committed where and when it suits them, but those who are willing to lay down their entire lives for the work at hand. You start wherever you are, faithful over the little – you cannot hope to develop faithfulness over large responsibilities. Telling the parable of the talents, Jesus spoke of servants who were given talents according to their abilities to manage for their master’s sake (Matthew 25: 14-30). The first two responded to that which was given to them, trading and taking steps of faith in the market – gaining for their master a 100-fold of what they had received.
The last servant did nothing of the sort, succumbed to fear and had no gain from what he had received from his master. After a long time, the master returned, commended and promoted the first two, and rebuked the last servant. That is what faithfulness is, proven commitment over a long period of time; and it is a principle for advancement in the kingdom of God.
Where do we stand? Are we faithful disciples who can be relied upon for the works of the kingdom? Why is it, that we struggle to be faithful? The Bible teaches us how Sarah, the wife of Abraham, grew and maintained her faithfulness – ‘By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she[d] bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised” (Hebrews 11:11) – so could it be, that we do not trust God and believe He is who He says He is? Every single one of us will sit for this test, because ours is a life of introspection. This is an area we must assess and intentionally align if we are to be fruitful laborers for the Lord Jesus, who is coming back for His bride soon.
Prayer
Father, we bless You for your Word, that cleanses and refines us. Your Word renews us daily into the image of Your Son Jesus, and it has been sent to give us our inheritance. You also sent Your spirit to help us in our weaknesses, empowering us from on-high to be able, faithful, and bold ministers of Your message.
We submit to Your Word and Your spirit, exchanging our limitations for Your strength, and we bless You, for rigging the game in our favor! Victory is ours! In the name of Jesus, Amen.
