The Old Clock On The Wall

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y dad is fond of clocks.  Well, fond might be an understatement.  The fact is he’s crazy about them and he has them hanging and sitting all over his house.  As a small boy, I remember all the clocks we had in our home.  Every room in the house had at least one clock and some had two.  Believe me, it was some kind of noise when they all chimed together!!  The grandmother clock in our living room had Westminster chimes while the other clocks in the house sounded with gongs!  Although none of the chimes were in tune with the others, the sound was wonderful, assuring us that there was order in this life of chaos.

I can still see my dad as he made his appointed rounds through the house on his mission to wind all the clocks.  He would walk from room to room, pulling weights, inserting keys, stopping pendulums, winding springs, setting hands, and restarting the movements.  It was quite a production and one I loved to watch.  The clock hanging in my and my brother’s room got special attention because it also had a hand which displayed the appropriate date.  Daddy would come to wind the clock and he spent extra time making sure everything was in order before he moved on to the next room. 

There was, however, one clock that was extra special, one that no one touched except daddy.  It was a very old clock, very temperamental, needing constant attention, and a consistent touch.  None of us could make that clock work, but daddy could make it run perfectly.  That old clock used to hang in my parents’ bedroom and it now hangs in the guest room of their home.  It still runs, faithfully marking the hours and the minutes.  Its pendulum still swings back and forth as it has these many years and its movement is still going strong.

The greatest lesson the clock teaches us is that of faithfulness.  No matter the circumstances, no matter the weather, no matter the time of day, no matter the day of the week or the month of the year, the clock is dependable.  It counts out the hours and minutes with a steady rhythm, faithfully fulfilling the purpose for which it was made.

In Luke 12:42-44, Jesus underlines the importance of faithfulness in the life of the believer. “The Lord answered, "Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.”

In this passage of scripture, Jesus is teaching his disciples about the importance of faithfully performing an assigned duty.  Notice that Jesus describes the servant who carries out his master’s commands as wise and faithful.  The wise servant is faithful, performing his duties day in and day out in all types of situations and conditions.  His task is to take care of those put under his charge and to do so until his master comes. 

The servant, however, has no idea when the master will arrive but determines in his heart that his master will find him faithfully executing the task his master gave him to do, no matter how insignificant it may seem.  And notice what happens when the master comes and finds that servant faithfully working.  The master puts the servant in charge of all he has because this servant can be trusted.

Notice that Jesus says it will be good for the servant if his master finds him performing his task.  The opposite is also true, that it will not be good for that servant if the master finds him lax in his duties upon his return.  As Christians, we do not know when Jesus will return but we do know we are to be faithfully carrying out the responsibility of sharing the gospel message with others until he does.

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ike the old clock on the wall, God has called us to faithfulness.  We are to be sharing the truth of Jesus Christ at every waking moment of the day.  We are to demonstrate consistently the love of Jesus with all those around us, telling them by our words, our deeds, and our lives of God’s love and His desire to bring salvation to everyone.  When Jesus comes he will be looking for workers who are so doing.  Will you be in that group?  Do you hear the clock chiming?  What does the clock of your life say about your faithfulness to God?