“The Master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant.” – Matthew 25:23

Leaders are in demand! In athletics, in business and in ministry, great leaders are highly valued. Leaders are called upon to inspire, motivate and encourage their teammates. They are expected to be hardworking, trustworthy and to lead by example. In his book, The Hard Hat, Jon Gordon tells the incredible story of Cornell University lacrosse player George Boiardi. Teammates of Boiardi call him “the ultimate definition of leading by example.” He wasn’t motivated by praise, trophies or positions of leadership. He was respected and admired by others because he did things the right way. Perhaps the strongest statement about Boiardi came through the words of his co-captain and friend Andrew Collins who said, “George lived by the motto: ‘Well done is better than well said.’ This is a stark reminder to us all that we speak louder through our actions than we do through our words!

Jesus was and is the Master Leader! His message is clear as he shares the parable of the talents. The master divided a sum of money to his three servants according to their abilities with nobody getting more than he could handle. Two of the servants invested their share and made nice profits. The third servant however, buried his share in the ground out of fear that he would lose it and make his master angry. The master praised the two servants who were “doers” and came down hard on the third servant calling him, “wicked and lazy!” We can only wonder if the third servant even bragged to his friends of his great wisdom in protecting his share of the money. Jesus reminds us through this parable that the real evidence of our leadership and faith is what we do, not what we say. Jesus IS coming back—we will have to answer for our excuses.

Heavenly Father, make me a doer and not a talker today. Help me to do things the right way and for the right reason. Amen.