Well Done, My Good and Faithful Servant

It was a very sad and tough week with the passing of Charlie Kirk. To see a young father and husband's life cut short by an act of violence is absolutely tragic and heartbreaking. I’ve thought a lot about Charlie Kirk’s life over the past few days. It led me to think about 7 words. 7 words we will all hear one day: “Well done, my good and faithful servant,” or “Depart from me, I never knew you.” When you meet Jesus face to face, which 7 words will you hear? I strongly believe Charlie Kirk lived a life worthy of those precious words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

Charlie embraced the truth, spread the truth, and led many to the eternal, absolute truth of God’s word - and was killed for it. What is the cost of truth? Is it your job? Your reputation? Your life? What are you willing to lose for the Gospel of Jesus Christ? In the purest sense, Charlie was a martyr. Yes, he discussed politics, but he used his platform to further the truth of God’s word, which is the foundation of all areas of human life, including government and politics. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” Psalm 116:15. This verse in Psalms gave the martyrs of the early church great comfort when they faced trials and sometimes gruesome deaths as they stood firm on God’s eternal truths. While the world looked at these martyrs as worthless, God himself regarded their martyrdom as “precious” in his eyes. Charlie’s death is a great reminder that as Christians, we should be joyful to bear the cost of spreading truth.

Matthew 5:10 says, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Righteousness is a word we don’t use much today. Righteousness in the Biblical context means conduct in conformity with God’s will. It calls for uncompromising faithfulness to God despite every threat and pressure. The demands of true righteousness are so great that none of us will achieve it perfectly. But what does God require of us? How should we live? How should we act? How should we think? Charlie devoted his life to answering those questions. As Christians, we should live our faith boldly and unapologetically. Be the leader our spouse and children need us to be. Love our neighbor. Love those who hate us. Spread the gospel. We should stand for truth regardless of the cost. We are accountable for how we live our lives and will give an account to God for our stewardship here on earth. We may never have thousands of people show up on a college campus to hear us speak, but we can be who God called us to be to those He has placed around us.

I am reminded that we battle the things we cannot see. With Charlie’s death, the spiritual fight was revealed in our physical world. The evil in this world is real and is a lion waiting to devour us and our families. Pray for the blood of Jesus over your life and your family. Turn away from the things that cause you to sin. Charlie's death serves as a call to action for Christians to actively use their spiritual gifts and talents for God’s glory. For some of us, that may be the mission field. For others, our schools, our children, our family members, our employees, our neighbors, our co-workers. Only the things we do in service to our Heavenly Father will endure to the end. Millions around the world rightly mourn Charlie’s death. His mission lives on through those of us who fight the good fight in love and truth. We should be encouraged to be bold and not be fearful and rejoice if we are counted worthy to suffer for sharing the truths of God’s word.

May we all hear those precious words when we meet Jesus: “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”