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SCRIPTURE READINGS: JUDGES 4:1-7, 1 THESSALONIANS 5:1-11, MATTHEW 25:14-30

REFLECTIONS
“Faithful stewards” is the theme for our reflection. To be faithful means to be loyal, committed, dutiful, and steadfast. A steward is a person entrusted to manage the property or affairs of another person. Faithful stewards are loyal, committed, and trustworthy people put in charge of managing the property or affairs of others. In Christianity, faithful stewards are believers who understand that human beings have been created by God to be stewards of their very lives and all that God has created. We shall reflect on the following facts about being faithful stewards:
1. Faithful stewards must work diligently.
2. Faithful stewards must work relentlessly and be watchful.
3. Faithful stewards will be rewarded.

Firstly, faithful stewards must work diligently. To be diligent means to be hard-working or take one’s work seriously. Deborah demonstrated diligence as a faithful leader, prophetess, and judge of Israel. We are told that “… she was judging Israel at that time. She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people of Israel came up to her for judgment.” (Judges 4:4-5). In other words, Deborah took her work seriously as a steward over the people of Israel. She was punctual and always available to render her service to the people of Israel. Beloved in the Lord, are we also performing our duties diligently as believers at our workplaces, congregation, and society? A faithful steward who is diligent will always report to work early and work dutifully to serve God and humanity. It is important to note that we do not qualify to be called faithful stewards if we go to work and spend productive hours on our phones watching movies and listening to music with our company’s data and resources. It is certainly not a sign of faithful stewardship when we use working hours to chat and converse about issues completely unrelated to business and work. Unlike the lazy and unproductive servant, we are greatly encouraged to be diligent and productive like the first and second servants in the parable of talents in Matthew 24:14-30. Paul admonishes us to demonstrate diligence as faithful stewards when he wrote “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. Knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” (Colossians 3:23-24)

Secondly, as we work diligently, let us also work relentlessly and be watchful, for we do not know the day of the Lord. Working relentlessly as faithful stewards means performing our duties persistently without ceasing. Being watchful means not letting down our guard even as we work relentlessly for the Lord. Paul admonishes us that, “For you yourselves are fully aware that day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night…But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.” (1 Thessalonians 5:2, 8- 9). Dear friend in the Lord, we must be faithful stewards without ceasing because we do not know the day of the Lord or the day when we shall be called upon to render an account of our stewardship. We must remain morally and spiritually ready for the coming of the Lord. Jesus cautioned us to be relentless and watchful stewards when he said, “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table, and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (Luke 12:35-40)

Thirdly, after we have been diligent, relentless, and watchful, we shall be rewarded when the Lord comes. Faithful stewards like the first and second servants who were productive in the parable of talent shall be rewarded with the compliment “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:21). Similarly, believers who have been faithful steward by serving God diligently and relentlessly with their life, body, time and resources will be rewarded by our Lord and Master Jesus. However, those who are found to be unfaithful stewards like the servant who was given one talent will be told “…cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 25:30) Paul assures us that “…the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.” (Colossian 3:25). Dear friend, what kind of steward are you? Are you a faithful or an unfaithful steward? Are you diligent at your workplace and in your Christian life? Are you relentless in pleasing God and doing His will? Are you being impactful and productive even as you await the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in your church and society? Jesus assures us that “the one who remains faithful to the end will be saved.”(Matthew 24:13)

In summary, we have deliberated on the theme “Faithful Stewards” We have learned that faithful stewards must work diligently, faithful stewards must work relentlessly and be watchful, and last but not least, faithful stewards will be rewarded. May the Holy Spirit empower us to remain faithful stewards even as we await the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.