Faithful Dogs?

Photo: Valentina Jori
My dog is faithful. He is always glad to see me. He wags his tail and follows me around when I’m home. He seeks me out and sits by my feet. He is loyal to me as his owner. When I’m gone he sleeps, waiting for me to come back.

Is this an image of what it means to be faithful to God? We are waiting for Jesus to come back. If He were to come into our presence we’d be glad to see Him. We’d wag our tails and follow Him around. We’d sit by His feet. We’d be loyal to Him. But what are we doing while He is gone? Are we to sleep? Remember the ten virgins?

The image of a faithful dog doesn’t work for me. I can’t believe that Jesus wants us to sit around passive as a loyal, faithful dog until He comes back.

Is there an image that Jesus left us about being faithful? Yes! It’s found in the story of the “talents” in Matthew 25:14-30. It has one of my “life lines” in it. For me, a “life line” is a short phrase of what I want to live for. It motivates my life. The line is: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”  The master in the story spoke this to the servants who were faithful while he was gone on a long trip. When he came back he discovered that while he was gone the “good and faithful” servants had used the “talents” he had given them in a productive way so that his holdings increased.

Faithful Servants

There was nothing passive about these servants. They were not sleeping dogs. Rather, they were filled with life.  They were risk takers. They were proactive and not reactive. They attacked life. They lived life with gusto. They focused on the possibilities they had and not all the reasons they couldn’t do it. They operated by faith and not by fear. They enjoyed life, living each day to the fullest until the master got home. They didn’t make excuses. They didn’t blame others for life being hard. They understood that the master had given them all they needed to be successful. Destiny was in their hands. Their attitudes made them good and faithful.They were filled with enthusiasm. They operated in joy. They made an impact and a difference. They pleased and honored their master.

But, there was one servant who didn’t produce. He was given the same opportunity. He was given resources. He was just as capable. He had the same amount of time. But, he feared life and he feared his master. He didn’t really long for him to come back. He expected his master to be hard on him so he acted out a scenario that assured it. He thought that if he just lived “safe” with no risks and no apparent failures then the master would be happy when he came back. He didn’t want to make waves. He didn’t want to be in the limelight. He’d just play it safe and give the master back his “talent” when he got home. Wrong choice!

In this parable the master wasn’t happy with the servant who tried to play it safe. He was pleased with the servants who were willing to take risks.

So, what about us today? Are we faithful? Are we using what God has given us to the greatest capacity? Are we risk takers? Are we living with gusto? Are we attacking life and taking the kingdom by force? Are we positive? Are we controlled by faith? Are we enthusiastic? Are we joyful? Are we making a difference in the world around us? If so, I think, no, I know, that Jesus is pleased. He can hardly wait to come back and tell us… “Well done, good and faithful servant(s)! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness” (Matthew 25:21)!

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By Chad McComas. Copyright © 2006 by GraceNotes. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines. Scripture taken from the NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®.