What is the greatest achievement you can think of in life? If you could achieve your dreams, what would they be? How do you define success? Think of the biggest goal you can imagine. Dare to dream your biggest dream. Now think what it will feel like if we live our life in such a way that when we meet Jesus He says to us, “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 25:23). Wouldn’t your wildest dreams, all of your greatest achievements combined, pale in comparison to that one conversation?
If you are a devoted follower of Jesus, hearing Him say you served Him well during your time in this life should be the ultimate goal. It is what we live for, the reason we keep pressing forward. I think for followers of Christ, success in life can be defined as living in such a way that when we meet Jesus He tells us, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” I simply can’t think of a better measure for anyone’s life.
If we can agree on that definition of success, then it only makes sense to direct our lives in such a way so as to achieve that goal. Every day should be spent with the single-minded purpose of being faithful to God’s commandments, and living a life that reflects His character. To be a good and faithful servant, we will seek to love everyone with whom we come into contact. We will be patient and kind, not jealous, proud, or arrogant; we will not be conceited or selfish, and we will be willing to forgive any offense (I Corinthians 13). In order to live as Jesus lived, we will feed the hungry, provide clean water for the thirsty, give shelter to the homeless, provide for the needs of the poor, take care of the sick, and bring hope to those who are incarcerated (Matthew 25:31-46).
It’s not enough to simply be a ‘good’ servant; anyone can do an act of kindness every now and then. We must strive to be not only ‘good’, but also faithful. This implies there is a consistency to our actions. We don’t just do the will of the Father on occasion; it must be part of who we are. Every step we take is with the intention of serving our Creator and Lord.
Every day we have the choice to follow Jesus or abandon Him. Every day He reaches out His hands to draw us near. We make the decision to be a good and faithful servant by the actions we choose. Our deeds are either for the Kingdom of God or against it.
What will success in life look like for you? What will be your greatest achievement? Will it be in your accumulation of stuff, your level of comfort, or the security which you provided yourself? Or will it be that you tirelessly and consistently worked for the good of others by serving them in the name of Jesus? Will your greatest accomplishment be hearing the words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant?”