More on Faithfulness
As we’ve been going through our series on the fruit of the Spirit we’ve been looking at how the Holy Spirit of God works through us and the fruit that He produces in us. Faithfulness is evidence of the Holy Spirit of God at work in someone’s heart. When we hear the word faithfulness, we think loyalty, consistency, or maybe even the idea of not cheating. Our flesh, which we’ve learned is contrary to the Spirit (Galatians 5:17), worries, doubts, gets anxious, and is inconsistent.
Faithfulness, however, comes from the Holy Spirit. God has a perfect plan for our lives, but we have our idea of what that plan should look like. When following God doesn’t look the way we want it to, we often worry, doubt, and make decisions that are inconsistent with having loyalty to God (James 4:4). We cheat on Him.
Our flesh shows its lack of faithfulness. In Sunday’s devotion, Ryan talked about Hebrews 11 and the Bible’s heroes of faith. Well what these biblical legends knew that we learn in Hebrews 11:6 is that “without faith it is impossible to please God.” When someone doesn’t believe in me, it is hurtful. When I’m telling someone the truth and they’re looking at me like I’m lying, it gets me angry. When we worry or when we doubt God’s promises it’s just like we’re telling Him–the creator of all–that we don’t believe Him.
God has a perfect plan for our lives. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight,” (Proverbs 3:5-6). It’s through Him that we find the faithfulness to trust Him and follow Him, and that’s the only way to please Him.
-Josh-