Praise From The Voice

Matthew 25:21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful  with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things; Come and share your master’s happiness.'”

One of the most thrilling things that can happen is to have someone of importance complement you. So often we work hard at our jobs or our pastimes and we wonder if anyone really notices. Although the personal fulfillment of a job well done, even when no one else notices, can bring great satisfaction, there is nothing like having our efforts applauded – especially by someone who knows and understands the difficulty of what we have done.

I considered this the other day when I, along with the rest of America, listened to a young 16-year old girl display her vocal talents on “The Voice.” After listening to the other talented musicians before her, there was no doubt that Shelby Brown was the best. But the biggest thrill was to see the reaction of the four judges. They each hit their buttons and turned their chairs as she reached a beautiful climax with perfect pitch, power, and emotion. As each professional profusely expressed their appreciation of what she had done and practically begged for her to join their team, you couldn’t help but vicariously share her joy in their exuberance.

Wouldn’t we all love to experience a moment like that just once in our lifetime?

Jesus told a parable about a man who was about to go on a trip. He called his three employees together and entrusted them with his possessions. “To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey.”

The first two servants took their money, invested it, and doubled their investment. The third went away, dug a hole, and buried what he had been given so that he would not lose what his master had given him. After a long time, the master returned. He was very disappointed with the third employee’s lack of motivation, but to the other two he gave the highest praise. When seeing the return they had received on their investment, he exuberantly congratulated them with the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things; Come and share your master’s happiness.”

This story illustrates the life of a Christian. Our Master, Jesus Christ, returned to heaven after dying and rising from the dead. He left each of us with spiritual gifts with which to serve Him and each other until He comes back again. We are not all given the same gifts, but we are expected to use what He has given us for His honor and glory.

When through the power of the Holy Spirit we diligently use our gifts to build up the church, our Master will be pleased when He returns. On the other hand, if we bury our gift, and choose to do nothing with it that will benefit those around us, then we will suffer great loss.

I know that most of us will never experience the kind of thrill that Shelby Brown experienced this week on “The Voice.” Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, or Pharrell Williams will probably never be interested in what we have to offer. But that doesn’t mean we can’t experience the pleasure of having someone important praise us.

If you belong to Jesus Christ, He has entrusted you with spiritual gifts. No matter how big or how small they are, use them diligently to serve Him. If you do one day you will stand on the stage before Him. He will look you in the eyes and you will hear the thrilling words of “The Voice” that everyone wants to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful  with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things; Come and share your master’s happiness.“

Love,

Mama