Great Is Your Faithfulnessનમૂનો

Great is His Faithfulness.

I can't remember a time when I didn't melt every time I sang or listened to the hymn "Great Is Thy Faithfulness". "Morning by morning, new mercies I see..." Faithfulness has long been a treasured trait to me, whether it's from a fellow human being or our eternal God. Saying you'll do something and actually doing it speaks volumes about your character, and when it comes to that kind of follow-through, no one does it better than our God. His track record is flawless. He has never failed. His Word is perfect. He says what He means and means what He says. That everyday sameness is unbelievably appealing in a time where cancel culture is so easily triggered.

But if we are bent on following Jesus and imitating the model He has provided, faithfulness should be the trademark of each of our lives. Paul wrote, "Imitate me as I imitate Christ." (1 Corinthians 11:1, God's Word Translation) While we love to relish in Christ's sufficient grace that makes up the deficit for our weaknesses, we must also recognize that He has set us up for success by showing us how it's done. We are called to follow the Leader. And if we do that, we will follow Him in faithfulness.

Let's recap a little here from Day One:

If you look up the definition of the word "faithful" in a dictionary or online search, you'll discover that the term generally means "being loyal and steadfast in one's support or allegiance", involving a strong sense of duty and trustworthiness.

Loyalty is the capstone of faithfulness. It may seem frivolous but remaining loyal in your everyday life is a great way to practice faithfulness. Being loyal to your spouse--not just avoiding infidelity, but also through love, honor, support, and speaking well of him or her--is a great way to be faithful as God is faithful. Remaining loyal to your children by not trash-talking them to others is evidence of faithfulness. Faithfulness to your home church--in attendance, word, and service--matters much to God. How about even loyalty to businesses who provide great service and support just causes?

But let's take this one step further with a turn through Galatians, a letter Paul wrote to believers in the province of Galatia, clarifying the validity and ample sufficiency of salvation through the work of Christ. As he walked them through the juxtaposition of the Law versus grace through Christ Jesus, Paul challenged them to, essentially, live like they were saved! "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus," he reminded them in chapter 3, verse 26. And as my children are a reflection of me and their father, you and I, dear child of God, must reflect the attributes of our heavenly Father.

So what are the attributes of our Father?

The fruit of the Spirit, God's Spirit, is "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." (Galatians 5:22-23)

Great is His faithfulness. And great must be your faithfulness, friend.

Be faithful to God, faithful to His people, faithful to His Word.

Dig a Little Deeper

Let me challenge you this final time to ponder on a recent personal experience with God's faithfulness and write it down. It doesn't have to be grand or magnificent. Actually, the grandest acts of faithfulness are the small, everyday ones.