Read: Matthew 25:14-21
As many of you may know, I spent the better part of this year preparing to run a 5K. Up until this past spring, I’d never run a race before. Truth be told, I’m not even all that sure I had actually ever run anything before. But, something told me I should get out there and give it a shot (and I think that “something” was my wife). So, on March 13, 2012, I walked out my front door and began my journey toward running a 5K.
Needless to say, it didn’t go so well at first. Actually, that might be a bit of an understatement. Those first few days (weeks) were absolutely terrible. The first day I ran, I couldn’t even make it 30 seconds without feeling completely winded. I very distinctly remember wondering if I should just run into a traffic sign just so I could have an excuse to stop. There were multiple times during the run when I thought about lying down in someone else’s yard just to rest. As I meandered home on that first morning, I thought there was no way I’d ever be able to reach my goal.
Fastforward to August 17, 2012, the day of Cornerstone’s “Back to School Bash and 5K.” While I hated running my first 5K in front of people I know (I’m not all that graceful…or fast), I decided an event affiliated with God might be the best place for me to start. When the time for the race arrived, I put on my running shoes, took my place behind the starting line and waited for the whistle to sound. Then, I started running. And I ran, and I ran and I ran some more. There was a time there when I thought the race might never end. But I kept going, kept running and kept looking for the finish line until…
I made it!
It wasn’t the fastest time recorded. It certainly wasn’t the prettiest race ever run. But, I made it just the same. I completed what I set out to do. I’ll never forget what my wife said to me when I finally crossed the finish line:
“Boo, I’m so proud of you!”
Those six words made everything worth it. All the pain, all the work, all the effort, they were all worth it because I knew I someone I love had noticed them.
You know, a day is coming when our deployment on this earth will be over. We will slip from this world into the next and we will arrive home. We will cross the finish line of this life to find ourselves surrounded by all those who have gone before us. We’ll all talk about the races we ran, the victory we achieved, and the potholes we encountered along the way. We’ll share our war stories with some of the great saints and meet faithful Christians we’ve never even heard of before. I have no doubt we’ll each celebrate God’s faithfulness as we look back on the lives each of us led.
Yet, of all the things we’ll see and hear on that day, I think six little words will stick our more than anything else. Those six words will be said by Jesus Himself as He welcomes us into our eternal home. If the “Parable of the Talents” is any indication, the King greets all His loyal people with the same simple message:
“Well done, good and faithful servant.”
I wonder what it will be like to hear those words from the lips of our Savior. I wonder how we’ll respond when He congratulates us for a life well lived. I’m not sure I can even begin to comprehend what that will be like. Such a thing seems far too wonderful for words.
Still, I think hearing those six words will give us a new perspective on our lives. When Jesus looks us in the eyes and says these words to us, everything we’ve ever been through will suddenly be worth it. All the heartache, all the sacrifice, all the suffering, all the questions, all the pain, all the work – all of it – will be worth it. We’ll look back on our lives and realize that Jesus saw it all. He noticed what we did for Him. He perceived how we persevered in spite of trial. He paid attention to how we hung in there even when all hope seemed lost. He observed everything we ever did for His Kingdom. On the day our deployment finally ends, we’ll know that the One we love more than anything noticed all we had done for Him.
One day, our mission will be accomplished. One day, we’ll have done all we set out to do. Until that day comes, however, we have to persevere. We have to remain strong. Most importantly, we have to remain faithful. We have to hang in there with all we’ve got. We do it because it’s worth it. We do it because HE is worth it. Sure, we might not run the best race. The way we make it to the finish line might not even be all that pretty. But if we can make it, I can guarantee you that six words are all it takes to make everything worth it:
“Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Questions to Consider
- How do those six words motivate you to live on this day?
- Read II Timothy 4:7-8. What is promised to those who persevere?