115. FAITHFULNESS. Proverbs 20:6.

Faithfulness is primarily being honest and up front in your dealings and relationships, first of all with God, then with your fellow human beings; this applies double for Christians. Why? Because Faithfulness is one of the primary marks of identification for a Christian, Once you are identified as a Christian, (perhaps unconsciously) people’s expectation and opinion of you, your talk, character, behaviour, even your dress code, your walk and what you smile and laugh at go up a notch you are, (like it or not) a light in the darkness and under a microscope. Now, we shouldn’t be intimidated, afraid or get upset about this, in fact IF we are living the Christian life, Faithfulness should be natural and automatic for us. That means being transparent in all we say and do, because it’s said and done in the representation and confidence we have as children of Almighty God who said “I will be with you always, even to the end of the world.” It’s an honour and a privilege to be chosen of God, and He has chosen us to be His Sons and Daughters. Think about who you are in Christ, Don’t be ashamed, or try to hide it, stand up and proclaim it to the world by the very faithfulness of the life you live. “How do we do that?” you ask. Answer: Do you work to your full potential at your place of employment. “people are watching you.” A new employee once asked a co-worker “How long have you worked for the company?” The worker replied, “Ever since the Boss threatened to sack me!!.” Seriously speaking, employers have to scramble to find workers who are faithful and dependable... Citizens long for politicians who will faithfully carry out all of their campaign promises... In the marriage ceremony, the newly-weds are asked to be faithful to the vows they make to each other... The truth is, without Faithfulness, your influence will be restricted – or wiped out completely. Without Faithfulness the sum total of all your other wonderful talents will be diluted. Faithfulness turns the mundane into the miraculous and transforms ordinary individuals into dependable achievers. In 1883, after much searching for a motto, the US Marine Corps finally chose a Latin phrase “Semper fidelis” a phrase now engraved on the mind of every US marine? What does it mean, “always faithful” Both words are important, but the most important word is the first one, “always” Because a marine can’t afford to be faithful only when it’s comfortable or convenient or when he feels like it, “Semper fidelis” means you must always be faithful – regardless of the cost. God wants to say the same thing about you and me as is said about Himself in (Lamentations 3:23) “Great is your Faithfulness” So whether you are a boss or an employee, a mother or father ‘or a husband or wife, friend or teammate, always be faithful. That means say what you mean, mean what you say and carry it out to the finish. Wise King Solomon said in (Proverbs 20:6) “Many claim to have unfailing love, but a faithful person who can find” Our God and the world need and are looking fort people who are Faithful. (1 Corinthians 4:2) Speaking of our earthly priorities says-; “Our first duty is to be Faithful to the one we work for” If we require 100 per cent wages for our hourly work, then we must give 100 per cent of our effort, time and energy to each hour we are employed. Any normal thinking person would agree with that! So the bottom line is, Only your best should be good enough in any situation. Anything less that that will never be good enough, because it reflects your failure to be totally Faithful, reliable, and completely dependable. That’s why the Bible says in (1Corenthians 4:2) “Those who have been given a trust, MUST prove themselves \Faithful”. People are attracted to our faithfulness, God is glorified by our faithfulness, If you are faithful, your words and actions are accepted and appreciated by others. With God Faithfulness isn’t merely a concept or a suggestion, it’s a requirement of all who choose to serve Him. And that includes you and me. There’s a reason why Jesus says “No one goes into battle without first counting the cost” Now, when you go into any kind of ministry for Christ, big or small, that’s a battle. That , tells Satan you are serious about guarding, maintaining and advancing God’s Kingdom here on earth, ie. Faithful to Jesus Chris, So your toughest battles will come from him. Because he knows your Major General is Almighty God Himself and He wont abandon or allow His committed followers to be isolated. You are now a serious contender in his battle for souls. Be aware and prepared for that by dressing in the armour of God each day and praying constantly. When taking on a Ministry you must understand, that although ministry is very rewarding, it is also very demanding and costly, It has to be your first priority, it’s not a 9-5 job, no! it’s 24-7 it will cost you time, money, sleep, effort, energy and all sorts of things you may never have thought of, BUT the blessings you will receive are countless and out weigh that cost. hundreds of times more. Two and a half years ago, I believed God asked me to write this weekly Word; “When God Speaks” for our little church here in this small town in the middle of the South Island of New Zealand, I protested, saying I was inadequate, I was too old, (87), loosing my sight and not clever enough with scripture. But He persisted. So I spoke to my Pastor, and He said “Go ahead, if it’s from God it will last and if not it won’t.” Then I went ahead very tentatively and God has blessed my attempts. Since then I have had a good deal of positive feedback, Then my son suggested I put it on a blog. As a result, people from not only this country but many others in the world are getting the message of Jesus Christ. while I’m doing my bit faithfully each week to fulfil His great commission. God is pouring out His Blessings all over the earth. on people who are carrying out the sane commission in several different ways and The Word is getting out there. all He wants from us in the short time remaining before He returns, are Faithful followers to follow a faithful God. Will you be one of them ? First of all, learn to be faithful in little things, don’t bite off more than you can chew, build your ministry slowly. It doesn’t matter how menial a task it is, If you’re doing it for The Lord, He will bless it. But, without faithfulness all your efforts will fail and you will never be completely successful in any undertaking, you will always be prepared to accept and live with second best, even in your own dealings with people. Being faithful in little things is how dependability begins, grows and matures. Sometimes we think we are too big for small things, we would rather get on with what we perceive as big important mattes, Here is how Jesus sees it; (Luke 16:10-12). “Anyone who can be trusted in little things can also be trusted in important matters. If you cannot be trusted with this world’s wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? And if you cannot be trusted with what belongs to someone else, who will give you something that will be your own?”... If you want to succeed on the job, come to work on time, stick with the job until it’s finished, when you see something that needs to be done, do it even if it’s not in your job description. Give an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay; take your designated lunch brake, not a three hour paid holiday; Report your expenses truthfully; Support the team and uphold the company’s reputation. And if there are genuine problems, you should consider speaking out. In other words, be faithful on the job; (Ecclesiastes 9-10) says “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might” That is the faithfulness God is looking to honour. It is then, that you will see your relationship with God grow into a ministry for Him and the extension of His Kingdom.. Thank you for reading about “Faithfulness” Start small and see how God blesses and honours you God Bless. Phaline. -------------------------