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Written by Jocelynn Goff, Volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Arkansas

“Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Mt 25:21a). As Christians, these are words of blessing and affirmation we all long to hear. They bring hope and peace to our souls as we live out our faith in a world full of struggles, hurts, and deception. This begs the question: How can we make sure we hear these words?

To answer that question, let’s look at the whole context of the story that Jesus tells us.

Again, it will be like a man going on a journey who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on His journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. ‘Master, he said, you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ 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! (Mt 25:14-21) 

If we were to read further, we’d see that the man given two talents received the same affirming words, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Mt 25:23a). However, the man who was given one talent did not receive these same words of blessing. Instead, he received harsh words from his master. “You wicked, lazy servant!” (Mt 25:26a).

Wait, couldn’t the one-talent man have also received the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant”? Yes, I believe he could have. However, he acted out of fear and assumed his master was a hard man, so he went and hid his talent in the ground.

In contrast, I’m confident that my parents, who have both recently ascended to their eternal reward, have heard those precious words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” They were definitely faithful stewards of the five talents that their Master had given them to bless others and give glory to Him. In turn, they were given other things with which to be in charge. While I realize that the reference in scripture refers to money, I believe it has application for abilities also. My parents used both money and abilities to multiply their Master’s Kingdom.

I’ve also known many faithful stewards who were given one talent but are not acting in fear, nor are they comparing themselves with those who have been given more talents. Rather, by faith, they are in the Kingdom business of using their money and abilities to the glory of God. 

The question to each of us is not what number of talents we have been given by our Master but rather are we faithful stewards of those talents? Are we using them or hiding them? I pray that each of us will assess ourselves, be about Kingdom business with what we’ve each been given, and will all hear the blessed words, “Well done, good and faithful servant”.

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Written by Kat Bittner, Volunteer and Board Member with Iron Rose Sister Ministries

I recall a time struggling to understand faith vs. works. There was a tendency growing up to believe that one had to be “doing good” to get to Heaven. And I was consumed by that belief. I battled internally with guilt – and fear – that my faith wasn’t sufficient because I wasn’t doing enough. Even after marrying a faithful believer, becoming a mother, and making a home, I felt inadequate as a Christian woman. 

However, a wise, Godly woman speaking at a ladies’ event helped me understand something that changed my thinking. It was my flawed perspective on “doing good” that kept me from being the faithful woman of God I wanted to be… and that God had intended for me. She said it starts with a faithful fear of the Lord. 

What’s required of us by God is to “fear the Lord…and live in a way that pleases Him” (Dt 10:12 NLT). She further explained that the fear of the Lord is not being afraid of God, or His wrath and punishment, or not going to Heaven. Rather, it is reverence and awe of His holiness and submission to Him. Scripture tells us that the fear of the Lord produces wisdom (Ps 111:10) and faithfulness (Pr 2:1-6; Jas 3:13). And faithfulness is revealed by our fruits or good deeds (Mt 7:17-20). And I learned from this wise woman’s counsel and further study on my own that I am not doing good to be faithful, but the other way around. Because I am faithful, I do good. 

I will show you my faith by my good deeds. (Jas 2:18)

I have also come to appreciate that the more I grow in my faith, the more active in my faith I am (Jas 2:18, 24). Because I was “created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Eph 2:10 NIV), I pursue those things which God has gifted me to do. For example, I am passionate about women’s and children’s ministries and devote a lot of my time teaching and serving in areas that further those efforts, like Iron Rose Sister Ministries and Ciudad de Angeles in Cozumel, Mexico. In my home congregation, I teach the 2- and 3-year olds’ Bible class and VBS, serve on our Women’s Ministry Committee, lead several women’s events and classes, and organize the ministry that serves meals to families in need within our congregation. God has also called me to do a good work with my gift and love for singing. I do this by spreading the name of Jesus in sacred song with the community choir of which I’m a part. 

I do all this not to earn my way to Heaven, nor do I share this with you to boast. On the contrary, I am active in all this because each day I only want to please the Lord in doing what He has ordained for my life (Ps 139:16). I want to do good things to honor and glorify God because I love Him, and I am thankful to be in relationship with Him. Put simply, I want to do these things. As we have been commanded to “love each other just as I have loved you” (Jn 13:34 NLT), I want to do them because I express my love for God by doing things for others in love. 

Every woman is equipped to put her faith into action with the good works that God has especially designed for her. Not every woman will teach. Not every woman will sing. Not every woman will be a wife or mother. But every woman can increase in wisdom through the fear of the Lord. And the wise woman who does good reveals her faithfulness by what she does. And she is to be praised for it (Pr 31:30-31)! 

From the mundane task to the most benevolent act – all things should be done for God’s glory and in service to Him (Col 3:23-24). Our faithfulness to God is revealed through the deeds we do, which He has prepared for us according to the unique way He created each of us. Theologian and evangelist John Wesely sums it up well with the following synthesis of his teachings and sentiments: “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” 

What will you do as a wise woman of action, showing your faithfulness to God?