What does it mean to be faithful?

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Faith has played an important role in my life and relationships yet I have not stopped to think about if I am actually being faithful. Honestly, I’m on autopilot most of the time not really thinking about what I’m doing (or saying) and the potential impacts it could have.

Since becoming a Christian I just assumed that God would make me faithful if I did all the right things like reading my bible and going to church. I now realise that more effort is needed on my part although God will help especially if I ask him to.

It is said we should come before God with all our worries and questions. That we should consult scripture and see what it says. I don’t know about you but I’m guilty of just searching for the answer online instead which is exactly how I started my research for this post.

Collins Dictionary Online (2023) defines faith as a strong belief in something particularly without evidence. Now let’s see what the bible says…

In Ephesians 1:1 the apostle Paul uses the word faithful as a term for believers, calling the followers of Jesus in Ephesus “the faithful in Christ Jesus” with a similar phrase appearing in Colossians 1:2. Galatians 5:12 states faithfulness is one of the fruits of the spirit which are behaviours that are evidence of the Holy Spirit working in our lives (Noyes, 2023).

We already know faithful is used a term for followers of religion in the eyes of the world but perhaps its most important meaning which we find in the bible is that it is a characteristic of God (1 Corinthians 1:9). God is faithful to us and we can look at his example to see how we should be faithful in our own lives.

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1 Kings 8:56 tells us when God says he will do something, he will do it, or when he says something will happen it does just like in Phillippians 1:6 where it states “he who began a good work in you will carry on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus”. To be faithful we should keep our promises to God, to ourselves and to others. We also need to stop doubting God and trust in his timing as hard as it is.

2 Thessalonians 3:3 says God will protect us from evil and give us strength. We also should protect those in danger however we can and trust God to lend us his strength in our time of need.

1 Corinthians 10:13 says God will not let us be given a temptation that we cannot overcome and He is with us as we endure it by providing a way out of that temptation. Being faithful to God means not giving up and continuing to fight against the forces of evil who try and lure us away.

In his faithfulness to us God forgives us, he purifies us from unrighteousness as long as we come before him and confess our sins to him (1 John 1:9). God knows all and yet we often find ourselves unwilling to admit the truth of our actions but to be faithful means we must repent and be vulnerable knowing we will be forgiven.

It is hard to always be faithful but it something we should always strive to be. It also helps to know that in the end even the smallest act of faith will be rewarded (Luke 19:17).

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References

Collins Dictionary Online. (2023) Faith. Available at: Faith definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary (collinsdictionary.com) [Accessed 24 March 2023]

Got Questions. (2022) What does the Bible say about faithfulness? Available at: What does the Bible say about faithfulness? | GotQuestions.org [Accessed 24 March 2023]

BibleStudyTools. (2019) Bible Verses about God’s Faithfulness. Available at: The Top Bible Verses about God’s Faithfulness in Scripture (biblestudytools.com) [Accessed 24 March 2023]

Noyes, P. (2023) What is the Fruit of the Spirit? Bible Meaning of Each. Available at: What is the Fruit of the Spirit? The Meaning & Purpose Explained (christianity.com) [Accessed 24 March 2023]

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I’m Julia, the creator of Wholeheartedly Faithful. I’m so glad you’re here! This blog is a sanctuary for anyone seeking to deepen their walk and embrace life’s journey with honesty and hope. I share reflections, testimonies and insights that shine light on those moments where faith meets reality.

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