How important is faithfulness? It must be very important to God, as it is one of the fruit of the Spirit He wants us to develop and grow in our life (Galatians 5:22). It is a characteristic of God that others should see in our lives. Psalm 33:4 - "For the word of the Lord is right and true, he is faithful in all he does." Can you subsitute your name in that verse and it be an accurate statement?
What does it mean to be faithful? It means to be reliable, trustworthy, dependable and consistent. When a friend speaks of you, does she use the words trustworthy and dependable to describe you? When an employer gives you a review, do they commend you for your reliability? When your children look at you, do they see someone who is consistent in their walk and talk?
How would God describe you in this area? Have you broken any promises to Him lately? (ouch!) Have you thought about using the talents He's blessed you with for ministry, but still haven't gotten around to it yet? Are you wasting the time He's given you by living with regret over the past or being consumed with worry about the future? Are you too focused on yourself that you don't see where you could be investing in others? Are you uncommitted to a body of believers because you're still looking for the perfect church? These are some things to ponder when it comes to evaluating our faithfulness!
King Solomon asks in Proverbs 20:6, "...but a faithful man who can find?" Faithfulness is a rare quality. In our instant gratification and immediate action world, sticking with something for the long haul is seen as unnecessary sometimes. If something doesn't work, we throw it away and buy a new one. If a relationship doesn't work, we walk away and find a new one. If a job doesn't work, we quit and look for another one. If God doesn't do what we expect, we give up on Him look for something else to "worship" (ourselves, money, posessions, beauty, career, others, etc.)
Faithfulness - God's and man's - is shown throughout the Bible. I would challenge you to do a word search and see how many verses talk about this fruit of the Spirit. With the power of the Spirit, we can be faithful women of God. We can be "found". We can be described as someone who is reliable, trustworthy, dependable and consistent.
Remember, when we face God in heaven, we will not be rewarded for our abilities, knowledge or good intentions, but for our faithfulness. God has left us in charge of His business here on earth and one day will return ~ will He find YOU faithful? Will He be able to say to you, "Well done my good and faithful servant...come and share your master's happiness." (Matthew 25:21)
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