FAITHFUL AND WISE SERVICE
A presentation at CSKIM Strategic Planning meeting for 2024 Held on Friday 22nd December, 2023, via zoom
By
Femi Olawuni,
The Chairman, CSKIM
Topic: Faithful and wise Service
Text: Mathew 24:45-46
Introduction
Every worker would want his or her work to be praised. As a matter of fact, even God consistently paused to appreciate his work while creating the heavens, the earth and all there in. It will give you so much joy if after a work or an assignment is done, your superior, or any other worthy stakeholder, looks at it and praises you for it.
We have such commendation in scriptures as we can find in our text (Matt 24:45-46), where a servant has been awarded a very laudable title- faithful and wise Servant.
We all render service in one way or the other. But do we all receive this commendation? In CSKIM, as we prepare to render service again in 2024, I want us to be mindful of this commendation. For this reason, this presentation will attempt to expose some of the things this servant did that others did not do, that qualified him for such praise from his master.
Please note that, though this presentation is put together specifically for CSKIM, to a large extent, its content can be adopted by any individual or organization, either gospel or circular.
Faithful and wise Service
A faithful and wise service is the service of a faithful and wise servant.
The individual words that make up this topic are not strange. Therefore, let us go straight to the significance of these two powerful adjectives qualifying service.
Faithful
When do you call someone or something faithful?
The Oxford dictionary describes faithful as staying true to the original. A service will no longer be faithful if it deviates from the original assignment. It doesn't matter how good or bad, necessary or unnecessary the deviation can be. In our text (verse 45), we saw a servant being saddled with a precise and specific responsibility-take charge to give the servants their food at the proper time. If this Chief Servant washes the clothes of other servants and spends all his income buying them gifts but does not give them food at the proper time, will he be awarded the title of a faithful servant? What if he gives them food but at odd times?
The answer is in the next verse. The only thing that qualified him for this title is that he was found doing so, doing exactly what he was told to do. No deviation to the left or right. He might add many other things to the service but note that he won't be assessed on those other things. It doesn't matter how many extra sheets a student collects in the exam hall. If the question asked is not answered, it's a zero.
What takes precedence over every other thing in a faithful service is THE ASSIGNMENT. What exactly do you want me to do? It is not subjected to moral justification of what is right or wrong. We saw Jesus commending Mary and disapproving of Martha in Luke 10:41. This is quite contrary to the direction moral justification would go. I hear these words of Jesus ringing in my head as we render service again in 2024- "CSKIM, CSKIM, you worry about many things, but one thing is needful"
It doesn't matter how many things the virgins in Matthew 25 took along with them, only one thing will be the judge and will separate the wise from the foolish- extra oil
In 2024, CSKiM will not attempt so many things. Our assignment is clear and well stated. We are to raise godly people by helping young believers overcome some of the challenges they face in their Christian walk. Of these challenges, the Lord was specific to EDUCATION. I imagine getting to God and he asking- How many godly people did you raise? How many people who couldn't afford to go to school did you send to school? At this point, nothing else that has been done will matter. Don't forget that Matthew 25:23 already told us that on that day, some servants will be told "well done, thou good and faithful servant"
Wise
When will I be said to be wise in rendering my service?
Proverbs 4:7
says Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: And with all thy getting, get understanding. This tells me that in whatever assignment you are given, to jettison wisdom, is to fail from the start. Who then is a wise servant? A servant, though ungodly, was awarded the title of a wise servant in Luke 16:8. A more preferable example is found in Genesis 41:39
Oftentimes, our assignments do not come with detailed instructional manuals. This is where wisdom comes in. God only showed Pharaoh and Joseph what will happen. How they will go about it requires wisdom or else, the revelation will be of no advantage. I liken a faithful servant without wisdom to a bird flying with only one wing. We can all guess the outcome - frustration. Proverbs 22:3 and 14:15 are good scriptures on that.
CSKIM will ask the Lord for wisdom for 2024 and he will give us. He already promised us in James 1:5
Elements of a Faithful and Wise Service
Haven worked in two different places and meeting people from different countries within this short time in my new location, I've come into contact with certain work methodologies and ethics that has rubbished all my close to 15 years of work experience back in my native country. What arouse my curiosity was first the great amount of energy I exert to get very little work done while most people here use little energy to get much work done in little time. I decided to study them I'm going to share a few of my findings.
Time is money.
I hear this a lot back home but didn't understand until now. Here you are actually paid for your time. The more productive time you put in, the more payment you get. In 2024, CSKIM will place much value on time. No time wasting of any kind.
Hard Work is not negotiable.
Hard work may be interpreted to mean many things in many circumstances. Notwithstanding, I have come to realize that success demands hard work. We will relentlessly put in the required work in 2024. We must be determined to give it all it takes. There will be several sleepless nights of praying, studying, researching, etc
Good rest is part of good work.
Rest is not negotiable here. On some occasions I have tried to continue work during break times and have been seriously scolded as if I committed a great crime. Breaking down on work is not a show of faithfulness or diligence. It is simply a lack of wisdom. A boss once told me that as soon as it's closing time, he doesn't think about work again till the next day. Holidays are essential for productivity.
Courtesy is a nature.
The display of courtesy that I have seen here made me conclude that I lacked home training. I was once rejected in a company after an interview and the manner in which the rejection was communicated to me made me feel so good as if I got the job. Henceforth all our communications and correspondence will be lavishly garnished with courtesy words like please, sorry, excuse me, etc as we deal with scholarship beneficiaries and others.
Don't cut corners.
I observed that work is done thoroughly here. You can't cut corners and be successful. Those who cut corners eventually get so used to it that they lack the tenacity required to push anything through even in their personal lives.
Safety first.
I once ran on a staircase because I needed to catch up on a schedule. About 5 people rushed out to correct me. It doesn't matter how important it is, safety first. Here the safety of a worker is more important than the work itself. As we enter into 2024, let safety be paramount. Even as an individual. You are not useful to CSKIM on the hospital bed. In whatever situation, let your safety be your priority
There is a "how to do"
I initially rebelled against some of their methods but I was always frustrated at the end of the day. There is a how-to-do for everything and if you follow it, you will have a fantastic work experience. There is a way to lift heavy objects with minimum impact on the body. Tedious work can be done for several hours and at the end, the individual still feels fresh and excited. In 2024, we will follow researched guidelines of those who have gone ahead of us. We will look for knowledge on how-to-do and at the end we would have worked smarter
Don't work in haste.
No good work is done in haste. On some occasions I have tried picking more than one parcel at a time so I can be faster. Instead of being faster, the reverse is the case. While trying to hold 2 or 3 parcels, one or two falls, dragging me back while the person who goes steady on one parcel at a time has accomplished a lot in little time. We have 365 days in front of us. We are not in haste. Moreover, 2024 is not the end. Many more years lie ahead.
*Have genuine desire for rendering service and helping people.
Though there are remunerations for labour, I discover that these people are so passionate about the work they do and not just the reward. This is contrary to the attitude of an average worker where I come from. This coming year, I want each and everyone of us to serve the Lord with great enthusiasm.
Ask for help when necessary.
Here, nobody is trying to impress anybody. When you have a task you can't handle alone, call for assistance. It doesn't in anyway reduce you
My Own Addition
Pray well.
Prayer is a strong weapon we have to turn things around for our good. CSKIM, we will pray in 2024.
Embrace God's grace
I have seen grace turn a stupid strategy into the most brilliant and celebrated success and I have seen lack of grace turn brilliant ideas into failure. May God's grace journey with us in 2024 and beyond in Jesus name
Conclusion
As we strive to become more productive, both individually and collectively in 2024, it is very essential that we understand what is required of us and how to go about it. The joy and satisfaction that good commendation brings to the heart of a servant is unequalled. However condemnation destroys the spirit. Oftentimes, there's just a thin line between the two, as we see in the parable of the 10 virgins.
At CSKIM, the kind of service we want to render in 2024 is the faithful and wise service.
God bless you all.
Femi Olawuni.