A Fruity Kind of Faithfulness

Having completed my brief visit with the Fruit of Goodness, I find that I am two-thirds of the way through my Fruit of the Spirit journey. The trip thus far has been delightful and I’m so glad I decided to take it. I’m not through yet though, and am pleased to move on to my next stop, which is at the Fruit of Faithfulness.

Faithfulness is simply the act of being faithful. But what is faithful? It is a characteristic that is to be admired. If we are known by our faithfulness, we are known to be loyal, constant, reliable, trustworthy, honest and true. And no, we are not to be considered Golden Retrievers because we carry these traits. (Though you gotta love them Golden’s!) Anyway, to be known as trustworthy, is something that all Christian’s should strive to be. Of course, Christians don’t have exclusive rights to this or any other characteristic, but as a Christian we should exemplify it because we whether we like it or not, we are modeling God to the world.

The thing that I love so much about faithfulness is that it is so closely tied to God. He is always faithful to us. His love is not conditional. He never leaves us or forsakes us. He always forgives us when we ask. When we feeling tossed about by the storms of life, he is always our life preserver. When we have God, we have peace. When we have God, we have hope. When we have God, we have someone on our side, always.

God is absolutely faithful. We are assured of this over and over in the Bible. In Psalm 86:15 it says, “But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” In Psalm 100:5 it says, “For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” And in Lamentations 3:22-23 it says, “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” These are such great and comforting promises that we can hold onto. And there’s many more too!

So if we are to be like God, and to grow in the characteristics of God, what then does faithfulness look like to us? It’s walking in integrity, giving our word and keeping it. It’s being loyal even when things get tough, or it’s not the easy thing to do. It’s being trustworthy, and giving no doubts to anyone about the kind of person we are. Being faithful is seeing a project of job through to completion. It’s holding on to our faith, even when times get tough.

The one person I think of most in regards to faithfulness, is my husband, Jeff. He is full of integrity, reliable as the rising and setting of the sun, unwavering in his beliefs and persistent in completing his tasks. And I admire him greatly. Because of him and the example he sets, I know I am a better person. There is a verse that I think fits him perfectly. It’s Proverbs 3:3-4, “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.”

God assures us, that if we are faithful with a little, we will be given a lot, and that is when we will hear “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” And because of His faithfulness, God also helps us resist the temptations of sin. I’ve heard it said that ‘cleanliness is next to Godliness.’ I believe though, that a more accurate statement would be, ‘faithfulness is next to Godliness!’ Wouldn’t you agree?

“This is a trustworthy saying: If we die with him, we will also live with him. If we endure hardship, we will reign with him. If we deny him, he will deny us. If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is.” ~ 2 Timothy 2:11-13


© 2008 Tracy Keck