Watching, Feeding and Letting God Build The House
Watching and Feeding, the Work of Faithful Servants
The past few weeks I’ve found myself reflecting deeply on the world around us and my place in it.
Like many others, I’ve been watching the growing tensions in the Middle East and the suffering of ordinary people caught in conflicts far bigger than themselves.
One night I had a dream that stayed with me.
In the dream I was in a recording studio helping produce music that sounded like modern Iranian pop and electronic music. The details of the dream shifted, but one impression remained clear: the music was meant to reach ordinary Iranian people living under the strain of war and uncertainty.
When I woke up, my heart was full of prayer.
I found myself praying that God’s face would shine upon the Iranian people, that His peace and love would somehow penetrate the darkness of conflict. I prayed the same for Israel and for the other nations of the Middle East who are being pulled into the turmoil.
In moments like these I often remember the words of Jesus:
“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed… Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.” Matthew 24:6
Jesus didn’t say these things so we would panic. He said them so we would stay awake.
So my prayer has been simple:
Lord, help us keep watch.
Help us pay attention.
Guard us from deception and the subtle distractions of the enemy.
But even more than that, help us examine our own hearts and how we are responding to the conflicts around us.
The Question Jesus Asks Leaders
In the middle of these reflections I found myself drawn back to another passage in the same chapter of Matthew.
“Who then is the wise and faithful servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time?”
Matthew 24:45
Jesus frames leadership in an interesting way. Not as building something impressive.
Not as gathering the largest crowd. But as feeding people faithfully.
This question has always stirred something in me because if I’m honest, church growth has been a tension I’ve wrestled with.
Part of me sees growth as validation. If the congregation grows, it feels like evidence that I’m leading well. That kind of thinking can quietly nurture pride.
But another part of me feels the opposite fear.
What if the house becomes larger than my ability to feed it well?
The bigger the household, the more servants are needed to care for it. And the responsibility of making sure people are fed spiritually at the proper time can feel weighty.
This tension has exposed something important for me.
Jesus never said our goal was to build the house.
That’s God’s job. Our calling is something different. Our calling is to feed the servants He brings.
God builds the house.
God provides the resources.
God brings the people.
The wise and faithful servant simply watches and feeds.
What Does It Mean to Feed the Household?
Jesus’ imagery is simple but profound.
Feeding the household means providing spiritual nourishment, bread from heaven, for those entrusted to the care of "wise and faithful servants".
The servants are those who God calls to serve within the kingdom. This is not just for vocational ministers, but for everyone who has received Jesus as Lord.
The "proper time" speaks to the rhythms of life. Moments when people need strengthening. Moments when truth must be spoken. Moments when encouragement, correction, or hope must be offered.
The household itself represents the people, purposes and resources God has entrusted to His kingdom work.
They are not burdens to manage.
They are testimonies.
Living stories that reveal the glory, honor, and power of God.
A Prayer of the Faithful Servant
As I sat with these things, my reflections turned into prayer.
Lord, I want to be a wise and faithful servant.
Help me recognize the food You have provided.
Help me discern the proper times to feed Your people.
Help me remain watchful and diligent in the work You have given me.
Guard my heart from growing weary.
And guard my heart from the opposite temptation, to use Your people for my own selfish gain or recognition.
Teach me to discern the voices that would distort this calling.
The Faithful Servant's Reward
Jesus ends His teaching about the faithful servant with this promise:
“It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.”
The reward is not applause. The reward is being found faithful.
In a world filled with noise, conflict, and the constant pressure to be seen, the calling of Jesus remains surprisingly simple:
Stay awake.
Feed the household.
Trust God
And live for the day when the Master returns and says,
“Well done.”
The past few weeks I’ve found myself reflecting deeply on the world around us and my place in it.
Like many others, I’ve been watching the growing tensions in the Middle East and the suffering of ordinary people caught in conflicts far bigger than themselves.
One night I had a dream that stayed with me.
In the dream I was in a recording studio helping produce music that sounded like modern Iranian pop and electronic music. The details of the dream shifted, but one impression remained clear: the music was meant to reach ordinary Iranian people living under the strain of war and uncertainty.
When I woke up, my heart was full of prayer.
I found myself praying that God’s face would shine upon the Iranian people, that His peace and love would somehow penetrate the darkness of conflict. I prayed the same for Israel and for the other nations of the Middle East who are being pulled into the turmoil.
In moments like these I often remember the words of Jesus:
“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed… Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.” Matthew 24:6
Jesus didn’t say these things so we would panic. He said them so we would stay awake.
So my prayer has been simple:
Lord, help us keep watch.
Help us pay attention.
Guard us from deception and the subtle distractions of the enemy.
But even more than that, help us examine our own hearts and how we are responding to the conflicts around us.
The Question Jesus Asks Leaders
In the middle of these reflections I found myself drawn back to another passage in the same chapter of Matthew.
“Who then is the wise and faithful servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time?”
Matthew 24:45
Jesus frames leadership in an interesting way. Not as building something impressive.
Not as gathering the largest crowd. But as feeding people faithfully.
This question has always stirred something in me because if I’m honest, church growth has been a tension I’ve wrestled with.
Part of me sees growth as validation. If the congregation grows, it feels like evidence that I’m leading well. That kind of thinking can quietly nurture pride.
But another part of me feels the opposite fear.
What if the house becomes larger than my ability to feed it well?
The bigger the household, the more servants are needed to care for it. And the responsibility of making sure people are fed spiritually at the proper time can feel weighty.
This tension has exposed something important for me.
Jesus never said our goal was to build the house.
That’s God’s job. Our calling is something different. Our calling is to feed the servants He brings.
God builds the house.
God provides the resources.
God brings the people.
The wise and faithful servant simply watches and feeds.
What Does It Mean to Feed the Household?
Jesus’ imagery is simple but profound.
Feeding the household means providing spiritual nourishment, bread from heaven, for those entrusted to the care of "wise and faithful servants".
The servants are those who God calls to serve within the kingdom. This is not just for vocational ministers, but for everyone who has received Jesus as Lord.
The "proper time" speaks to the rhythms of life. Moments when people need strengthening. Moments when truth must be spoken. Moments when encouragement, correction, or hope must be offered.
The household itself represents the people, purposes and resources God has entrusted to His kingdom work.
They are not burdens to manage.
They are testimonies.
Living stories that reveal the glory, honor, and power of God.
A Prayer of the Faithful Servant
As I sat with these things, my reflections turned into prayer.
Lord, I want to be a wise and faithful servant.
Help me recognize the food You have provided.
Help me discern the proper times to feed Your people.
Help me remain watchful and diligent in the work You have given me.
Guard my heart from growing weary.
And guard my heart from the opposite temptation, to use Your people for my own selfish gain or recognition.
Teach me to discern the voices that would distort this calling.
The Faithful Servant's Reward
Jesus ends His teaching about the faithful servant with this promise:
“It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.”
The reward is not applause. The reward is being found faithful.
In a world filled with noise, conflict, and the constant pressure to be seen, the calling of Jesus remains surprisingly simple:
Stay awake.
Feed the household.
Trust God
And live for the day when the Master returns and says,
“Well done.”
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