Well Done
Pastor Carl Palmer spoke at both the graveside and the memorial service for my mother last week. He had been my parents’ pastor for almost 30 years and knew them both quite well. The words he spoke to us were both comforting and challenging.
Pastor Carl reminded us of Jesus’ parable of the talents (Matthew 25 and Luke 19). A wealthy man was about to go on a long journey and before he left he met with three of his servants, entrusted to each of them a certain amount of money, and instructed them to use the money to engage in business and turn a profit for him. The day of reckoning came when the man returned from his journey. One of the servants had been afraid of losing what he had been given and so buried it where it would be safe, but unproductive. His master was not pleased with him. The other two servants had used the money wisely and each had doubled the amount they had been given. To each of these two, the master said the same thing, “Well done! Good and faithful servant…enter into the joy of your master.”
Knowing my mother as he did, having observed her service to her Master and His church, Pastor Carl assured us that Jesus greeted Mom with those same words when she came into His presence, “Well done! Enter into the joy of your Master.” She had used well what the Lord had given her. She had turned a profit for His kingdom. Well done, Mom!
Of course, the challenge to me and to all of us who acknowledge Jesus as our Master, is to use what He’s given us in such a way that we will hear Him say, “Well done!” when our day of reckoning comes. We have each received from Him the blessings of abilities, interests, passions, skills, personality, relationships, gifts, resources, and more. How are you using the blessings you have been given? Are you investing them for the sake of His kingdom? Are you turning a profit of blessing for the Master and the people He loves? Will you hear him say, “Well done!”?