Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father; There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not; As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.
Faithfulness is a lasting loyalty and trustworthiness shown by being true to our commitments and beliefs.* It is something we demonstrate to both other people and to God.
Faithfulness can be hard to exhibit in a culture that is so willing to abandon anyone and anything for any infraction, large or small. It is especially easy to abandon faithfulness when times are hard and commitments are strained. In a previous church I went to, it came to light that one of the established families in the church was dealing with an affair. The offending spouse stopped the affair and repented. The offended spouse agreed to extend forgiveness and continue the marriage, I’m sure, with plenty of difficult times as trust was rebuilt. It wasn’t until years later that I realized how rare that must be – for a husband or wife to choose to forgive and remain with someone who has cheated. Couples in our culture seem quick to divorce because the other isn’t “making them happy” or isn’t holding up their end of some bargain. This cultural habit of being quick to dismiss doesn’t only apply to romantic or interpersonal relationships. People are quick to “cancel” celebrities, product brands, sports teams - anything that doesn’t meet their standards 100% of the time. There is minimal, if any, room for second chances.
But we are called to be faithful. Because the fruit of the spirit is Godly characteristics that are reflected in the lives of Christians, fortunately, we have the perfect model of faithfulness of God recorded in the scripture. Just in the Psalms, there are numerous praises to God for His faithfulness:
The Lord is righteous in all His ways and faithful in all He does. - Psalm 145:17
He is Maker of heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them. He remains faithful forever. - Psalm 146:6
Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. - Psalm 36:5
But You, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. - Psalm 86:15
There are also numerous promises for those who are faithful to God.
Know that the LORD has set apart His faithful servant to Himself, the LORD hears when I call to Him. - Psalm 4:3
All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful toward those who keep the demands of His covenant. - Psalm 25:10
Guard my life, for I am faithful to you; save Your servant who trusts You. - Psalm 86:2
For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake His faithful ones. - Psalm 37:28
Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for He guards the lives of His faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. - Psalm 97:10
The example God provides is a stark contrast to how our culture is today. But our faith gives us full confidence in the things we hope for…it means being certain of things we cannot see. (Hebrews 11:1) By exhibiting faithfulness - resulting in compassion and forgiveness to others - we are continuing to set ourselves apart from the world, being a city on a hill that cannot be hidden. Most importantly, by being faithful to God, we continue to draw the strength and resolve to live our lives according to His calling and purpose.
Comments