I used to lie awake thinking about: What does faithfulness mean to God? How would I get into the “club” of the Cloud of Witnesses that it talks about in Hebrews 11? What made those people so faithful?
Over and over, I would read stories from the Bible from people such as Job – who, despite losing everything, still believed God was good. Abraham – who, despite being 100 years old, believed what God has said about becoming a father. Rahab – who, despite not being an Israelite, trusted that God would protect her family and herself from destruction. Noah – who was called crazy for building an ark when the world had never seen any rain, believed God would protect his family from the pending judgement.
I could go on, with many more people found in Scriptures who show what it means to be faithful. One of the main things that changed who I am today (around faithfulness) came from my spiritual parents. They lost their oldest son when he was thirteen-years-old, and I remember thinking that I would have walked away from this “so-called god” as he couldn’t have been any good if he didn’t want to save their child! (This was when I was a non-Christian) Yet, I would listen as they would tell me how that devastating journey actually drew them closer to God, and I remember thinking that I wanted what they had…the faithfulness to hold onto God, no matter what life looks like, or what our circumstances show.
My journey with God, so far, is by no means perfect, but I have found that taking each day as it comes – with Holy Spirit by my side – I have overcome things that I never thought possible, but I also know that whatever is to come, knowing God is “for me” brings great comfort. Reading my Bible reaffirms what I already know, and the fact that I am willing to say “yes and amen” to whatever God asks has shown me that my faithfulness in God has grown, and one day, I hope that God will say these beautiful words to me when we meet face-to-face:
“Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
Matthew 25:23
What does faithfulness look like for all of us? It’s the ability to believe what God says, over what ever the world is shouting at us and walking in His perfect peace until those things come to fruition
Categories: Fruits of the Spirit
