Faithfulness produces both blessing and suffering. We all like blessing but tend to avoid suffering. Yet we cannot have one without the other. Proverbs 28:20 says, “A faithful man shall abound with blessings.” A good example of this is Abraham who was blessed by God and was in turn made a blessing to the world. Nehemiah 9:8 says of him that his heart was found faithful before God. We must also remember that Abraham endured considerable suffering and self-sacrifice.
What Does God Really Expect From Us?
“For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not” (2 Cor. 8:12).
God expects us to be faithful according to what we have. He does not expect more than we have, even though what we have doesn’t seem like much. Remember the multitude Jesus fed with only five loaves and two fish? Philip spoke for many of us when he asked, “But what are they among so many?” (Jn. 6:9). There is so much to do and we have so little to give! What good will our little bit do? What good is it for us to be faithful? John even emphasizes that the fish were “small,” yet somehow as Christ broke them into pieces, thousands of hungry were satisfied.
If only we are willing, as the verse says, the Lord will accept what we have, and in His hands it will be multiplied. When we foolishly look around and see others who have more to offer, we begin to make comparisons, and discouragement sets in. Some may have two small fishes to place in His hands and others may have more–but nothing we give is sufficient to feed the crowd without His touch. Remember, He is the One who accepted the two mites of the poor widow and pronounced the amazing news that what she had given far surpassed the wealth tossed into the treasury by the prosperous, whose pockets still bulged with their riches as they walked away (Mk. 12:41-44). She wasn’t rich, but she was faithful. She gave all that she had.
How Do We Regard Ourselves?
“Let a man so account of us (regard us), as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful” (1 Cor. 4:1-2).
It may be fine for us to recognize our own job descriptions in our life and ministry, but more than anything else, we ought to regard ourselves as servants of Christ, as those whose chief ambition is faithfulness to Him. Faithfulness is really a motive of the heart. It is what motivates a man to do what he should, when he should, regardless of what people think of him. Actually, it matters very little what others think of you and me. Paul said, “With me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment” (v. 3). Just because others think we are doing a great job does not necessarily mean we are being faithful to our stewardship. What really matters is what God thinks.
We live in a day of modern advancements to speed the spread of God’s Word. However, let us remind ourselves that none of these can replace the desperate need of being faithful.
Is Our Conduct Free of Corruption?
“Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him” (Dan. 6:4). One translation says, “They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent” (NIV).
Historically, many people who serve in governmental affairs, as Daniel did, fall prey to corruption and negligence. Have you noticed how quickly political parties expose any failure in the lives and conduct of those in opposition? We have also seen how quickly and gladly men expose the corruption that sadly is all too prevalent today in the lives of those in Christian leadership. Daniel’s life is a blast of fresh air to those of us gasping for breath in the pollution of unfaithfulness around us.
How glad these wicked men would have been to find some tarnish in Daniel’s character, some proof of his taking advantage of his positions, some record of his directing government funds to his own pocket, some foolish, morally compromising behavior. Yet, as they scrutinized his life, they came up empty! Would our lives bear such scrutiny? Paul wrote to Titus, “A bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God” (1:7). There is no “shortcut” to realizing this. We must choose to be faithful a moment at a time to conduct ourselves as good stewards. If we have failed, God’s grace is there for us. Corruption and negligence enter our lives seemingly by the small choices we begin to make and then continue to make. Entertaining thoughts we shouldn’t, putting off doing things that we should do, ceasing to read and meditate daily on God’s Word; generally “letting things slip,” spiritually.
Do We Have the Cart Before the Horse?
“He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much” (Lk. 16:10).
We all have referred to the old saying, “Putting the cart before the horse.” It means we are trying to accomplish something the wrong way. A horse is meant to pull the cart; the cart is not capable of pulling the horse. It makes no more sense to put having responsibility before being a faithful person. Some mistakenly feel that as their responsibility becomes greater they will naturally respond with greater faithfulness; however, the cart of responsibility is then placed before the horse of faithfulness. The unfaithful person scoffs at little things to do as though they are too insignificant to be considered. He deceives himself into thinking, “If only I were given something important to do, I could show people how faithful I am! Poor me, I can’t be faithful because I don’t have anything really big to do!”
A faithful person does not stumble over what he has to do by trying to evaluate its importance. He is taken up with the One he is to please–then nothing is too great or small. We must be convinced that faithfulness is not determined by the task. It is an attitude that each of us can choose for ourselves and apply to each day with its challenges.
What do you have to do just now? Some tasks throb with excitement; others are quite mundane. As we learn to choose faithfulness, we understand how to apply ourselves to everything we do with all of our heart. “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men” (Col. 3:23).
Are We Producing Faithfulness?
“Help, Lord; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men” (Ps. 12:1).
Science records that many creatures have become extinct because of adverse conditions and failure to reproduce their own kind. Many creatures are now considered endangered species, on their way out unless their fate can somehow be reversed by careful management. What about faithful men and women in the service of Christ? Are they an endangered specie?
Should we be concerned as the writer of this Psalm seemed to be? As parents, are we teaching our children the importance of faithful attitudes and behavior? This generation has lost much of the drive to be conscientious and committed. Psalm 12:1 is definitely a prayer we should raise to God. What is the use of all the training we receive, the skills we learn, or the tools we acquire if we fail to learn faithfulness? Do we really think we can get the job done without it, or that we can please Him without it? May God give us a longing to learn faithfulness and the ability to reproduce it in others.