February 16th

Faithfulness

But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. Luke 12:31

I want you to think right now of the top five characteristics you want in your close friends. I’ll give you a second to think.

Alright, got them? I can almost guarantee that somewhere on that list is faithfulness.

Maybe you said it differently-loyalty, dependability, steadfastness, trustworthiness, or integrity-but we all want to surround ourselves with people who are faithful.

So faithfulness is a big deal, right? And if we want to be around faithful people, how much more does our God, who is perfect in faithfulness, desire for us to be faithful? Let me spell out for us today five things that often get in the way of us being faithful. Ready?

First, being superficial gets in the way of being faithful. Here’s the deal, the root of faithfulness is faith, but how deep do the roots of your faith go? Is your faith in Jesus superficial, only skin deep? Or has it gone deeper than that, changing who you are deep inside so there is no longer a question of who is your God and for whom you live your life?

Second, fearing the wrong thing can damage our faithfulness. A lot of people are afraid about things in this world. Will I make enough money? Can I afford the house I want? What if I lose my job? What if I’m rejected when I stand up for Christ? Jesus says not to fear for those things because God will meet those needs. Instead, fear God, because He has authority to cast you into Hell if you aren’t right with Him.

Third, being stubborn kills faithfulness. Listen-sinning isn’t what sends you to Hell. We’ve all sinned. You say, What sends people to Hell then? Being stubborn and not accepting the salvation and forgiveness that Christ has provided for our sins is what will land us there.

Fourth, covetousness robs us of faithfulness. Here’s why: Because when all you can think about is the stuff others have that you don’t have, then your heart belongs to the stuff and not to God.

Fifth, greediness crowds out faithfulness by turning our commitment into something that’s for sale. Suddenly our faithfulness can be bought by whatever opportunity comes up for the next promotion, raise, or increase. Yeah, I know church and family are important, but I’ve got to work Sundays if I’m going to get that raise. Maybe you need to ask what you need more-that raise or Jesus.

Everyone wants faithful people around them, especially God. Commit to Him today and become someone He can count on.

Prayer Father God,

Thank You for never changing! I always know what I’m going to get when I come to You. Please help me to be faithful, so that You always know what You’re going to get when You come to me.

Amen