1 Corinthians 4:2
“Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”
Every year I preach for a friend of mine in North Carolina who has a very special lady in his church. When you meet this lady, she is very quiet and unassuming, but she is probably one of the greatest Christians I have met in my lifetime. She has been a Sunday school teacher for over seventy-five years.
One year while I was preaching in this church, I was going through the auditorium greeting people when I came to where she was sitting. We shook hands and I greeted her, but then I told her that I was honored to have shaken her hand. She looked at me in a curious manner as to why I said that to her. I told her that to teach Sunday school for seventy-five years is a great accomplishment. I then asked her, “How were you able to do this great accomplishment?” I waited for some great piece of advice that would come from this great Christian lady. Her response to me was, “I just showed up.” That was how she taught for seventy-five years. She then said, “I thought that is what we are all supposed to do.” This may not seem very deep, but it is one of the greatest pieces of wisdom I’ve heard from anyone.
The verse above says, “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” A steward is one who is employed to manage another’s property. If you’re saved, then God has employed you to manage the property of His church. God expects one thing from you, and that is to be found faithful. This is not a difficult command. At your place of employment they expect you to be faithful to your position. If you were not faithful, they would fire you. Imagine if God took the same action that your boss would take if you didn’t show up to your place of service to Him. It doesn’t seem like much, but all God wants is for you to show up.
Friend, God is not asking you to be an intellect, He is simply asking you to just show up. God is not asking of you to be recognized by all, He is simply asking of you to just show up. God is not asking of you to have the largest Sunday school class, He is simply asking you to just show up in your Sunday school class. Wherever your place of service is, God is asking you to just show up.
Furthermore, showing up also means that you are prepared. Imagine showing up to teach a Sunday school class, run a bus route or preach a sermon and not have anything to teach. Showing up also means that you are prepared. There are many Christians who are physically present in their place of service, but they truly never showed up prepared. A person who greets at the church doors not only needs to be bodily present, but their good spirit needs to show up as well. A person who teaches the Word of God not only needs to physically show up, but they need to show up by being prepared. Don’t be guilty of showing up unprepared.
Are you showing up? That is what everyone is supposed to do. I challenge you to be that one who is found faithful in your place of service to God. The way you will be found faithful is to just show up, even when you don’t feel like it.