Faithful to Christ

By Paul Chappell

"Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ."

Colossians 3:22-24

In the sixteenth century, there was a protestant reformer in England by the name of Hugh Latimer. He was known as a great preacher of his day and as a result he had many opportunities to speak. Once he found that he was to preach before the King Henry VIII of England. As he thought about his great responsibility to bring a message before the king he realized that the message that God laid on his heart was not the message that the king would want to hear.

As he contemplated this, he said that he heard a voice saying, “Latimer, remember you are preaching before King Henry VIII who, if he wills, can take away your life.” Then he heard another voice saying, “Latimer, remember you are preaching before the King of Kings, do not displease Him.” Latimer faced the choice: would he preach what man wanted to hear or would he preach what Christ would have him preach. Latimer did take his stand for truth and preached boldly. Eventually, he was martyred by Henry’s daughter Queen Mary.

The work that you do today is not just done to be acceptable to a boss or supervisor, it should also been done in such a way as to be faithful to our testimony and commitment to Christ. In every sphere of life, the ultimate accountability we have is to Him. He evaluates not only what we do but the motives with which we do it. And if we are faithful to Him, the final result is secure.

Today's Rooted Principle:

No matter what jobs you face today, remember that ultimately you must answer to Christ for your work and your faithfulness.