Well Done: A Senior Night Reflection on Faithfulness

Basketball season is winding down for me as an official, and one of my recent games happened to coincide with a school's senior night.

Before the game, there was the usual ceremony recognizing the athletes and celebrating their high school careers. I couldn't help but notice, when they got to the two basketball players, that one of their teammates was visibly emotional, with tears in her eyes.

What struck me most was how one of the girls being recognized seemed genuinely surprised by her own tears. As the two seniors processed across the court with their families and posed for pictures, I also noticed the heartfelt embraces between the players and their coaches.

Knowing a little about the program, I thought about how many years these people had spent together. I can only imagine the flood of memories coursing through the minds of both the players and the coaches as they experienced this bittersweet moment.

As the ceremony concluded and the national anthem began, my mind was drawn to the words of Jesus in Matthew 25:21, where He says, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Think about it for a moment.

Jesus speaks these words in the context of a parable about faithful servants being welcomed into the house of their master. In this parable, the master is pleased with the servant’s dedication, loyalty, and the fruitful work they’ve done.

Jesus uses this as a foreshadowing of the heavenly throne room, where we will stand before Him and be welcomed into eternity.

Even though the Bible tells us there will be no more crying in heaven, indulge me for a moment as I offer this thought: Imagine the tears of joy when Jesus embraces us, welcoming us into our eternal home. Despite all our sin and mistakes, He says, "Well done, good and faithful servant!"

Why does He say this? Because we have put our faith and trust in Him. The Bible acknowledges that we will make mistakes, but it also tells us that He is faithful and just to forgive us. His grace enables us to stand before Him, despite our flaws, and hear the words, "Well done."

This same thought came up in another context when my wife recently shared a prayer she had lifted up: "Don't take them until You can say, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant.’"

May we live our lives with the hopeful expectation that, just as those senior basketball players celebrated their high school careers, we will one day celebrate our eternal reward with Jesus.

Let us faithfully trust God, serve others with humility, and remain steadfast in our pursuit of His purpose for our lives, knowing that our efforts, no matter how small, are seen and cherished by Him.

Let us embrace Jesus, living for Him so that, when our day comes, He will say, "Well done, good and faithful servant.”

May He not take us from this Earth until He can embrace us and authentically say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Anyway, I was just thinking…