His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ ~ Matthew 25:21

As Christians, we should all strive to live out our faith—surrendered and submitted to God, so that we might hear those words. Many people come to mind whom I am confident were greeted with those words upon entering the kingdom:

Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son Isaac in obedience to God's command, trusting that God had a reason and plan.

Isaiah the prophet responded to God’s call with, “Here am I! Send me,” when God was seeking someone to deliver His message.

John served as a forerunner for Christ, and when Jesus finally appeared, John sought no credit for himself but stepped into the background, directing all attention to our Lord.

Mary, who was chosen to bear the Son of God, responded, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” She spoke these words knowing she would face significant trials and heartache.

There are so many others—Noah, Moses, Ruth, Rahab, David, Paul, and more—who served God faithfully, just as Jesus did, by giving their lives so that others might find life.

As Christians, our purpose is to be salt and light in this world—preserving God's goodness by living with a kingdom mindset, flavoring our surroundings with the love of Christ, and illuminating the truth of God's heavenly kingdom, pointing others to Jesus and the narrow path of salvation. We do this by serving one another as Jesus served us, for He did not come to be served but to serve.

How do we serve like Jesus?

Jesus gave His life during His time on earth, never asking for anything in return and never fighting back. Jesus loved the lost, ministered to sinners, forgave His persecutors, and prayed for those who crucified Him. The Bible teaches us to forgive seventy-seven times, to turn the other cheek if someone slaps us, to go two miles if we are forced to go one, and to offer our cloak if someone sues us for our tunic. This is to love like Christ and for Christ.

When we as Christians fail to live this way, we fail to show people Jesus—fail to be salt and light, and fail to provide the remedy for their problems. We become like those standing before us, in need of God's light and the remedy for our own unfaithfulness.

Those who hurt, take advantage of, and persecute us do so because they do not know Jesus. Without our willingness to reveal Christ to them, they may spend eternity separated from Him. Even if some are immature Christians who barely make it to heaven, their actions still reflect a distance from Christ. Our response to them demonstrates how closely or how distant we walk with Jesus. "Lord, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

We can choose to fight back and even win, but all we gain is a fleeting moment of personal victory, leaving us with a lifetime of their blood on our hands. Our flesh desires to claim the glory for itself, but we must not let it prevail. Instead, we can humbly present Christ by putting ourselves aside and allowing Jesus to take the forefront.

Just as Mary was entrusted with carrying Jesus so the world could be saved, we are entrusted with carrying the Spirit of Christ to bring salvation to the world.

My friend Maria lived a hard and painful life. She had an abusive husband and struggled daily just to get by and feed her children. Eventually, she was diagnosed with cancer and passed away from it. Yet, even through all her struggles, Maria fought to glorify Christ to everyone she met. At her funeral, people expressed their gratitude for her unwavering dedication to Christ, sharing how they came to know Jesus because of her love. Maria stood behind Jesus with a line of people following her, inspired by her love for Him. I am confident that Maria heard the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” What a powerful and beautiful moment, to have our humble Lord look into our eyes and speak those words.

What will Jesus say to us on that day? “To your shame, you did it your way. Look behind you, for no one stands there. Let us weep for the souls whose eternal fate in hell we influenced.” Or will we hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Look around you; they are here in part because you gave Me the glory.” Let us rest, rejoice, and celebrate in that victory.