He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. (Luke 16:10)
If our dictionary is revised in the next few years, beside the entry for the word "faithfulness" will there be a note which reads: "A once prized characteristic of human character which is now extinct"? You might think that is a bit ludicrous but there is more truth to that statement than many realize. If faithfulness is not yet extinct in our culture, it is moving in that direction. It may not be dead, but it's getting pretty sick.
The characteristic of faithfulness is certainly one element that is missing in our society today. Marriages break up because of a lack of faithfulness. Business partnerships dissolve because of a lack of faithfulness. Friendships end in bitterness because of a lack of faithfulness. Faithfulness is the foundation for human relationships and for stability in society. Unfortunately, faithfulness, and words related to it like commitment, loyalty, reliability, and integrity, is no longer considered as essential.
For us as believers, faithfulness is indispensable. Without it, we will not be pleasing to God. Indeed, the one characteristic which should mark Christians is faithfulness. It should mark us because it marks God.
Faithfulness is an essential attribute of God's character. It should go without saying that God is faithful. We read in 2 Timothy 2:13; "If we are faithless, He remains faithful; for He cannot deny Himself." It would be a denial of God's very own nature for Him to be anything other than perfectly faithful.
Indeed, would we want a God who is less than faithful? If we had such a God, then we would never be certain whether we could trust Him. What good would His Word be? Of what value would His promises be? No! We would not want a God like that. And we do not have a God like that! We have a God in whom we can express the utmost confidence, because this God keeps His word. We are told in Hebrews 10:23, "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." We serve a God who is faithful. We can trust in Him.
Even our faith is based on His faithfulness. Hebrews 11:11 reads, "By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised." God's faithfulness produces faith in us. The fact that God is faithful means we can have faith in Him.
This is the cycle which faithfulness produces. God's faithfulness will produce faith in us, which will then produce faithfulness in our lives as well. Because God is faithful, we learn to be faithful. Faithfulness is one characteristic which should never become extinct among true believers.
We have been called to faithfulness. In Luke 16:10 we read, "He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much." The choice is between being faithful or unrighteous. The opposite of faithfulness is unrighteousness. Indeed, our lives will be evaluated by our faithfulness or our lack of it.
Jesus told a parable in Matthew 25 to illustrate how we would be evaluated by our heavenly Father. It is known as the Parable of the Talents. In the story a rich man went on a journey and entrusted differing amounts of money to his servants. When he returned, he rewarded the servants based on their faithfulness, not their success. He said to the faithful ones, "Well done, good and faithful slave; you were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things, enter into the joy of your master." One had gained more than the other, but both were rewarded for their faithfulness. If we would receive this kind of reward, we must be faithful.
What are some of the areas in which we must exhibit faithfulness? Let me suggest several ways in which we must be faithful as believers.
If you are going to be an example of faithfulness, you must be true to your word. In other words, we must keep our promises. We must be careful to do what we say we are going to do.
Jesus told us in Matthew 5:37 to let our yes be yes and our no be no. In other words, people should be able to count on what we say.
Often, we say we will do things we either do not intend to do or are not able to do. Sometimes we do this in order to put people off. We tell our employer we will have it done tomorrow. We tell our wife we will fix it next week. We tell our children we will do it this weekend. But we must be careful. Someone has said that the number one problem in parent/child relationships is resentment and the number one cause of resentment is broken promises.
But we should be dependable because people should be able to count on us. If you are dependable then you do not have to convince people that you will do what you say. You do not have to swear you will do it. You do not have to say "Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye." Because you have been faithful in what you say, people will know they can count on you.
To be faithful, you must honor your marriage. When we stand before God at the altar, we vow that we will be faithful to each other in marriage. Many people simply interpret that vow as a vow to avoid adultery. But you can be unfaithful without committing adultery. When you allow other things to chip away at your marriage relationship, you are moving towards unfaithfulness. You must guard your marriage relationship.
Hebrews 13:4 reads, "Let marriage be held in honor among all." If we are to honor our marriage relationship and live in it in such a way that it is honored by all, then we must take it seriously. Honor means "to hold in respect." If we hold our marriage in respect and want others to hold marriage in respect then we will honor our commitment regardless of what anyone else does, even our spouse.
You must also use your talents if you would be faithful. Listen to these words in 1 Peter 4:10: "As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." We are to use those gifts which God has given us in faithful service to one another.
Not all of us have the same gifts. None of us have all the gifts. But each of us has as least a gift. God has called us to be faithful in using the gift or gifts we have. To faithfully use our talents means that we use what we have. It doesn't mean that we do what we can't do or that we use what we don't have. God has not called us to do it all. But He has called us to use what He has given us. Someone said that we can't all be brilliant, but we can all be faithful.
If we are going to be considered faithful people, then we must guard our speech. Guard your tongue. Words are powerful, and they have a powerful impact on other people. Being faithful to God means that we must watch what we say. In fact, I believe that it is important to watch not only what we say but how we say it. Words have the power to build up, or to tear down. Words have the power to encourage, or to destroy.
The book of James has much to say on the power of the tongue. Read that book if you want a clear understanding on how we need to guard our words. In James 3 we read that "the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell" (v. 6). In that same chapter we read that the tongue "is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren these things ought not to be this way" (v. 8-10).
If we are going to be considered faithful then we must be faithful in the use of our words. We must use words to build up one another. We must use words to encourage one another. We must speak to another and about one another as God would have us speak. We must guard our tongue.
If we are to be faithful we must manage our money. I do not mean that we must simply control our money. I mean that we must control it in a godly way. The Bible teaches that we are merely stewards of what we have, not owners. God has given us material resources and we must handle them in such a way that God is glorified.
In Luke 16:11 we read, "If therefore you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous mammon, who will entrust the true riches to you?" This is quite an amazing statement. In other words, if you are not faithful with money, God will not trust you with spiritual things. The way you handle your finances will determine whether God can use you and what God can do in your life. If God cannot trust you with material wealth, He will never trust you with spiritual wealth. Are you being faithful with your money?
To be faithful in how we manage money means that we pay our bills, provide for our families, and give to the Lord's work. We should give because we love the Lord and want to see His kingdom advanced. We should give significantly, not tipping the Lord, but investing in His kingdom. How we handle money will determine the true bottom line in our lives and whether our lives are really in balance.
To be faithful means that we must committed to our church. God has called each believer to be identified with a biblical fellowship of believers called a church. Nowhere in the New Testament is there this idea that Christians can just float around without becoming committed to a local church. It is in this committed relationship that God works out His will in our lives. It is because of this committed relationship that we can accomplish His work in the world.
The Bible tells us that we are in a spiritual struggle. We are in a war with the enemy and as believers we are compared to soldiers. We have joined God's army.
If, however, you decided to join the United States Army you would have to make a commitment. You could not simply go to the recruiting office and say that you wanted to join the Army on the condition that you could do whatever you wanted to do. You could not say, for instance, that you did not want to be committed to any specific platoon. You could not say that you wanted to be able to float around without being committed to a specific group of soldiers. You could not explain that if the battle gets a little hot in one area then you would like to be able to move to a different area --that if you didn't like one platoon's leadership that you would join another platoon. The sad thing about the church is that while the battle is being fought most of the soldiers are AWOL.
If we would be found faithful, then we must be faithful to one another as well as to God. Jesus said in John 13:35, "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." In Romans 12:5 we read, "So we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another."
This is what it means to be identified with a local church as a committed member. It is a commitment to one another, to love one another, to share with one another, to care for one another. It is a commitment to become a participant, not a spectator; a contributor, not merely a consumer. Can the Lord count on you? Can other believers count on you? Are you committed to your church?
Jesus is coming again. With Him, He will bring His reward. It is my prayer that we will all hear the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful in a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord."
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