April 17, 2019 –
- Value Opposed to Infidelity, Untrustworthy
Faith, as used here, is not the faith that brings salvation. It denotes the characteristic of loyalty or devotion resulting from that faith. Faithfulness is steadfastness, fidelity, allegiance both in words and action.
The writer of Proverbs declared it hard to find a faithful man. He stated, “Most men will proclaim each his goodness, but who can find a faithful man” (Proverbs 20:6 NKJV)? People will boast of their faithfulness, but like Peter, most are not trustworthy under all circumstances.
Witness the “unconditional faithfulness” of Joshua. “And if it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, chose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which forefathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15).
The individual who lacks faith is prone to experience much anxiety and worry. In fact, fear is the opposite of faith. Concern takes our focus off our relationship with Christ and puts it on ourselves and our attempts to supply our needs in our power. As Christians, we have faith that Jesus has saved our souls. But many lack faith in His ability to provide for their needs.
Paul in his second letter to Timothy wrote: “If we are faithless,” Paul stated, “He remains faithful; for He cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:13). Even in our best effort to be faithful, we fall short. But God remains true to himself. God sets the example of faithfulness.
Faithfulness creates a conscientiousness and fidelity that permeates the believer’s entire behavior. When you are faithful in small opportunities, you will be trusted with larger ones.
Those who walk with God can say with Paul, “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me because He considered me faithful, putting me into service” (1 Timothy 1:12).
When faith is exercised in a person’s conduct, the seventh godly value is being demonstrated. Commit today to internalize the value of FAITHFULNESS.
Core Values Affirmation: “My daily walk reflects FAITHFULNESS because I am a faithful person.”
In my walk, I am faithful because I trust the Lord to be my shepherd, and I accept the responsibility to help feed His sheep. Bible Verse: “because the righteous will live by faith.” (Galatians 3:11b, HCSB).