The Maturity of Faithfulness
Years ago, I was a new believer sitting in the corner nook of a church in Indiana, sorting through the newness of it all. The vocabulary, stories, truth… the scales were falling from my eyes so fast that my vision seemed blurry. Then I overheard something from a neighboring conversation that was stated calmly, but abruptly, and I was immediately sobered from my spiritual stupor.
“Even demons believe in Jesus”.
What? That didn’t seem right. How could something so good be believed by something so vile? The ones that turned their back on God himself? But it really is true and makes complete sense if I thought about it. They were there! They know the one they turned their back on. They know the one they chose to fall away from in order to follow another that wanted to be just like God, all knowing and all powerful.
In the spirit world “Jesus is real” would be like saying “water is wet”. What I thought was the mac daddy, "I have arrived" understanding to all things possible was the same thing the enemy thinks and more than that, knows? Uhhhh… So, what sets me apart?
I began to study and realize that although belief is obviously essential, it is not the task at hand for a believer… it is just what makes you a believer. Belief is the front door. The challenge that we must wrestle with, grow in and invest into has all to do with faithfulness. Faithfulness steps beyond believing and into a much deeper and personal space unique to each of us.
A home needs a door to get into, right? But a door without a home on the other side is just a door to more of the same. THAT is the biggest difference between me and those fallen angel demons. I believe AND I am building a home of faithfulness and abiding love for Jesus (not myself) on the other side of that door.
There are two meanings of faithful I want you to see:
- Having faith IN the Lord and the sacrifice He made for you
- Remaining loyal and steadfast TO His love and law
The first definition delicately, but absolutely, demands trust and confidence and we all know that those things are earned not only with time, but through relationship. If you are not spending time with Him, learning His character, His will, His sacrifice and His heart, how can you ever have faith in Him?
If you have a faith only because you were told to have one, that, I am sorry to tell you, is not your own. I know… that may be a hard truth to hear, but it is better to hear it now and do something about it before you really need it to protect you, heal you and show you the way. That would be a borrowed faith from your parent, grandparent, friend or pastor etc. I promise you that it will not hold up in the gauntlet of life and if you are an adult reading this, you may have experienced that a time or two already. I am sorry.
You need something stronger. Just like you do not truly know a friend of a friend, you cannot know Him only through the lens of another. He needs to be YOUR friend so you can build YOUR relationship and faith.
The second definition is a faithfulness covenant based on the trust and confidence you are building by being in relationship with Him. The more you know the more you trust and the more you want to abide in the security and sanctity of that relationship. (remember that security is something we all seek)
All parts of the Spirit are pieces of God’s character coming through us when we are the the branches and He is the vine. Faithfulness is no exception. Faithful is who He is and who He yearns you to be.
In 2 Thessalonians 3:3 it says, "But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one" (there is that security) and 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness".
Why do you think we need to confess our sins before He is faithful?
Is this some sort of spiritual currency fueled by power and manipulation? No! You have to get rid of the sin in your life to break down the wall between you and God. If sin is actively, persistently and willingly there, you can never have that relationship with Christ. Your pride or addiction is making you unreachable to His forgiveness, faithfulness and protection that is waiting for you on the other side of that self-made wall. That is your choice.
Faithfulness is a two-way road. Mathew 25:21 says, "His master said, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with little—I will put you in charge of many things; come and share your master's happiness!'". He wants to share in the joy, freedom and happiness of a life surrendered to Him and broken free of the chains!
Not only is faithfulness a pathway toward freedom, it is also the road to success. In 1 Corinthians 4:2 it is written, "Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful". Successful people are the stewards of much responsibility. That bounty can take many forms from financial, material, ministry or people. On my desk I have a sticky note that says “stewardship is the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to me” and then I go on to list all those things I am a steward of starting with myself, my marriage, my family, my friendships, my gifts, talents, opportunities, ministries, finances, time etc.
Faithfulness, like all the pieces of the fruit is something intentionally built and then used in practice to grow even stronger.
How can you lead and teach youth in faithfulness?
From above we know that faithfulness goes beyond belief. It is a practice of thinking, choosing and behaving in such a manner that we are free to recognize and receive the faithfulness of the Lord and we echo this faithfulness back to Him through stewardship of what we have been given and share in His joy.
So, how can we lead our youth with this in mind?
We need to help them understand the difference between belief in Christ and the sacrifice He made for them, submitting to Him as their savior and building a life of faithfulness on the other side of that.
We need to pour into our youth that there is someone who is faithful to them and had faith in them NO MATTER WHAT, they just need to turn and face Him. He yearns for their heart and wants nothing but love and blessing for them even when it doesn’t look the way they thought it would. If they know that they know that they know that God is always faithful, they can find the purpose and life in every situation and navigate their way to the other side.
Faithfulness is forgiveness, trust, hope, obedience and freedom all in one and the key to everything God has for them. It is the cornerstone of the relationship and like every relationship it will require investment and growth.
