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We’ve been talking about the fruits of the spirit from Galatians 5:13 the last couple of posts. Today we’re going to talk about faithfulness. What does faithfulness look like in our relationship with the Lord and with people? We’ll find out how faithful or faithless we really are.
“The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’”
I don’t know about you but the words I want to hear when I die and go to heaven are “Well done my good and faithful servant.” The definition of faithful according to Merriam Webster is “steadfast in affection or allegiance: LOYAL”.
Being loyal has always been very important to me. I consider myself a very loyal person and appreciate it when I see others being loyal. Have I always been loyal to the Lord though, no I’m sorry to admit that I haven’t. No one is perfect so this message is for all of us.
A few past relationships ended with guys I was dating when loyalty was broken. Trust is hard to earn back which is why it’s so important to be loyal.
Life is full of choices every day that we have to make on the fly. These choices will determine how faithful or faithless we are. Whether it’s with our friendships, marriage, family members, at work, or just out in about.
I was talking to my husband EagleGarrett about faithfulness and he said this: “Sometimes being faithful means choosing the harder path but it’s always worth it.” He was so right. Choosing to do the right thing is not always easy but it pays off in the end. When you gain trust and loyalty even with the little things, you will get blessed with greater things.
“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.”
If we’re at work and have a choice to take a shortcut that isn’t completely ethical, what will you choose? If you’re talking with friends and have the choice to slander someone’s name even though you don’t have all the facts, what will you choose?
We may think that we’re getting away with a small lie that we can excuse but we’re not. The Lord knows and sees everything we do. He doesn’t do this to blackmail us, He’s this way because He’s God. He’s actually Immanuel “God with us” to be our source of comfort and peace.
When we’re unfaithful in the little things, we’ll most likely be unfaithful in the big things as well. So even the little choices and exceptions we make are important.
“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life.”
God doesn’t see things the world does as good, excusable, and evil. He sees things as good or evil. There is no gray in between. In that gray area is where we can get into lots of trouble.
I’m reminded of the scene in War Room with lukewarm coffee. It gets me every time!
I’m not just here pointing my finger at you to judge you and say do this or do that. I’m the first to admit I’ve made horrible decisions in the past and I’ve had to live with the consequences and still do at times.
I have lived outside of the will of the Lord on purpose and it seemed like it would be awesome but it wasn’t. Living outside of the will of the Lord is a scary place to be y’all, especially when you’ve known the Lord and then turned your back on Him.
For me, it started out as “harmless” fun for me at first but then it slowly spiraled. I was really making bad decisions because I was hurting inside and I turned to other things for joy and fulfillment instead of God. I started giving into peer pressure because I was tired of being called a good girl.
If I could go back and tell my younger self not to be stupid abs how much pain I will put on myself from these decisions, I would but I can’t go back. My sin left me feeling alone, afraid, angry, resentful, rude, and totally empty inside.
I’m not going to give the full juicy details but I began to give up hope. I came to a crossroads in my life that was very evident. To either follow the Lord’s guidance and do what I know He wanted me to do or to continue down a way that seemed great but left me empty.
The enemy was tugging at me real hard but I guess the Lord was listening to the prayers of my mom, grandma, and my future husband. I chose to run back to the Lord and I found true joy, comfort, and peace that didn’t just last for a moment but lasts every day for me now in every circumstance. I’m not empty anymore looking for something to fill me because God fulfilled me like nothing and no one ever can.
It hit me recently that my husband had been praying for me before we ever met- for my protection and for the Lord’s guidance and of course, for us to find each other and soon.
Sidenote: If you’re single and still looking for your soulmate, keep that in mind and begin praying for your future spouse. You never know just how much they may need it at that very moment or point in time.
I don’t even want to think about what my life would’ve looked like if I had chosen poorly instead of God’s way. I might have actually ended up dead by now, who knows.
Prayer works y’all. The power of a praying Momma, Grandma, and a future spouse is very real. I’m so lucky or blessed that worse things didn’t happen to me from my stupid decisions. But not everyone has that experience.
Every decision we make will get us closer or further away from being faithful. The Lord wants us to choose life because not only is He a jealous God and loves us but also because He wants us to win in life.
God isn’t just looking for a way to punish us for funsies. Every choice we make will have consequences, not just from God but from life. Consequences that will affect not only us but those around us who we care about.
Many people neglect the idea that what they do is only going to potentially harm them but it never does. How many families have we seen hurt by destructive decisions that were made selfishly?
I’ve been astounded lately by how many Christians have affairs and devastate their church and end up turning people away from the Lord, it’s awful. I’ve been astounded at people who lie on school applications or fudge the number of things to get ahead at work.
All of this can be avoided if we choose wisely and realize that we can choose either life or death with every decision. We need to stop making excuses and think about the consequences for our families for a brief moment of pleasure, power, or whatever it is we’re seeking.
God wants us to experience freedom from sin and guilt. God wants us to be free from addictions and secret shame. God wants us to experience joy and peace that surpasses all understanding in every situation we face.
You see we have an enemy who wants nothing more to destroy us. 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”
The enemy is just waiting for an opportunity, a weak moment you have to tempt you away from God’s protection and blessings. Life is hard whether we have the Lord or not but life is a lot more bearable when we have the Lord on our side.
God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
The closer we draw near to Him, the closer He will draw to us. We have to take the initial steps and keep doing this on a daily basis but He will make up the rest and come running with arms wide open just like the father did for the prodigal son.
Here’s a refresher of the story. The prodigal son inherited a lot of money from his father but made very bad choices and embarrassed his family.
After spending the money on women, fine clothing, and everything that seemed pleasurable, the son found himself in the mud with pigs eating from the same trough.
He was penniless and starving. No one wanted to hang out with him anymore because he was broke. How many of you know that a real friend is someone who will be there no matter what? That’s a whole nother topic but he chose his friends unwisely.
He decided to return to his father after making so many poor choices (pun intended). What did his father do?
Did he get angry at the sight of him and run inside his house to get away from him? Did he chew him out and give him a piece of his mind for embarrassing the family and making so many stupid decisions?
No, the father saw his son from a distance and came running. Now I’m sure the son smelled horrible after living with pigs and was covered with filth at the time. Yet his father gave him a big ole bear hug still while he was dirty and all and prepared a huge feast to celebrate his son’s return.
Jesus told this story to show us what the Lord will do for us when we return to Him. We don’t have to clean up first, we can come as we are to the throne of God and He will lavish us with His grace and mercy. We don’t deserve it but that’s how much He loves us.
Will there still be consequences? Yes, there will. The prodigal son might have brought on a bad reputation from the town. He might even have gotten something from the women he was with if you know what I mean that doesn’t just go away. He definitely didn’t have his father’s fortune anymore. You see what I’m saying right?
We have the choice now to be faithful and not dirty up our lives with unwanted consequences. No matter how bad we’ve screwed up, it can get worse so it’s better to turn things around now and run back to the Lord whose arms are open wide, waiting for us to get freedom.
I hope that you’ll join me in choosing to be faithful in the big and small stuff. You and I aren’t perfect but we can still choose life with every decision we make. Being faithful and loyal is something worth fighting for.
A Prayer For You
Lord Jesus, thank You for always being there with Your arms wide open. Please forgive me for all sins and wash me clean. Thank You for Your grace and mercy that I don’t deserve. Help me to be faithful and honor You in public and when no one else is around. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
1 Comment
Excellent!