In The Courtroom

Ever been part of a courtroom procedure like Jury Duty, testifying under oath, or being a character witness for someone? The waiting and the possibility you could be called on is suspenseful.

Recently, I was asked to be a character witness for a friend in a court of law. I thought it might be possible that the Judge would call on me to stand before [her] in this case and testify. So what did I do? Before I arrived, I made sure that I put on my best stuff just in case. Shaven? Check! Right shirt & tie? Check! Cologne on? Check! Shoes shined? Check!

Went thru a whole routine to “look good” in front of a human judge. Funny thing was I never came near. The female Judge never saw my nicely trimmed goatee, my shiny shoes and probably didn’t care about my tie or the small of my cologne; yet I did it to “make a statement” if needed.

I began to think about all that I put into this small proceeding and realized that one day I’m going to stand before the Judge of the universe and I had better have “look my best.” But what is the best way for us to “look our best” before God? What is He looking for when we’re standing before His throne?

The answer lies in a story (parable) Jesus told and recorded for us in Matthew 25:21—“His master replied, ‘Good job! You're a good and faithful servant! You proved that you could be trusted with a small amount. I will put you in charge of a large amount. Come and share your master's happiness.'

The two things I notice here are: [1] the master (God) said that the servant was “good and faithful” and [2] because he/she was faithful, God would give this person more responsibility (I will put you in charge of a large amount) and more privilege (Come and share your master's happiness).

When that day comes to stand before The Ultimate Judge, we can be assured that He won’t be looking at how well we’re dressed or how good we look on the outside. He judges everyone properly when He judges us from the inside…the heart. He will judge us on how faithful or trustworthy we have been with the responsibilities He has given to us in this life.

What are those? Well, for starters, how ‘bout being faithful to Him with everything he has entrusted to us! Like what, Steve? Like our talents or giftedness. These are divine abilities God has enabled you with to serve other people. Another aspect of loving faithfulness to God is our time or our calendar. What am I giving to Him out of the 1,440 minutes I have each day? The final facet of our faithfulness to God and possibly the most revealing too is our giving back to God or our treasure.

These days, I’m thinking more and more about that one special day that I stand before the Righteous Judge and either hear Him say, “Good job! You're a good and faithful servant! You proved that you could be trusted with a small amount. I will put you in charge of a large amount. Come and share your master's happiness” or I will hear no praise at all.

I want the former said of me and the privilege that goes with it. How about you? Feel free to respond with your thoughts.

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