Why is being faithful important?

Being faithful has much more meaning to me now than it ever has before. The more I study the bible and spend time with God it becomes much more important to me. Faith is a journey and I consider myself to only be at the start of it. Each day God gives me is the start of a new opportunity to be who He wants me to be.

I must be honest my knowledge of scripture isn’t great but that is something I hope to improve. Too often I compare my knowledge and my relationship with Christ, I look at the lives of others and feel unworthy, unsettled in what I know. I have much to learn and also to unlearn. I need to have faith in the fact that God made me who I am and that I have a purpose in Him. This is one reason being faithful is important to me.

Once we are saved we become true Children of God, his ambassadors on the Earth to share the good news of Jesus with the world. We also desire to spend more time with Him and yet the more time we spend with God, the more aware we are of our sin. Just because we are saved does not mean we are no longer sinners. However, we are saved from the punishment of sin which is death by Jesus (Romans 6:23). Jesus took the punishment of our sin upon himself so we could receive eternal life (Isaiah 53:6) as long as we believe He is Lord and was raised from the dead and declare this to the world (Romans 10:9).

‘Live your life while you have it. Life is a splendid gift. There is nothing small in it. Far the greatest things grow by God’s law out of the smallest. But to live your life, you must discipline it.’
Florence Nightingale

Our hearts are still deceitful and this will not change (Jeremiah 17:9). But now God is our Father and he will discipline us as a parent does to their child which is intended to increase our holiness (Proverbs 3:12, Hebrews 12). Our deceitful hearts and mind still cause us to sin and if we choose to be unfaithful there are real consequences. Being unfaithful to God provokes his anger (Deuteronomy 4:25-27) and leads to discontentment. God provides us with all we need and when go away from Him we are left feeling like we will never have enough (Hosea 4:10-12) whether it is money or other material things.

Not all suffering is God’s discipline and sometimes we are merely facing the result of our own actions or earthly judgement.

Other reasons for suffering

We are told so often that to follow Christ means not to expect an easy life, that there will be hardships to face and perhaps even persecution for believing in Jesus (John 15:18, John 17:16). But sometimes we suffer because it’s the natural result of a fallen world (Romans 8:22-23). Unfortunately, this means we may be suffering from the sins of others.

Believe it or not, good can come from suffering. Suffering tests our character and brings us closer to God which is always worth it in the end (Romans 5: 3-4). We can glorify God in the midst of our trials simply by how we react to them. Sometimes God lets us suffer because it will ultimately bring him glory. John 9:3 tells the story of a blind man who was healed by Jesus. The disciples thought his blindness was because of his sin but Jesus says that neither the blind man nor his parents sinned and he was blind so God’s work could be displayed.

I know it won’t be easy but next time you’re having a hard day instead of grumbling to yourself about how everything sucks and letting your frustration out on others; why not take it to God and be honest, let it all out to Him. He already knows how you are feeling and just wants you to come to Him. I can almost guarantee you will feel better afterwards.

Life is hard, trials and temptations are draining even if overcoming them does lead us closer to God. It can be hard to keep the faith, I find it useful to look back at the start of my journey with God and see all the ways (most of them unexpected) He has taught me something new. Sometimes it’s even possible to see how much you’ve changed although most of it will be easier for others to see.

Blessings from being faithful

It’s not all bad though, there are good things that come from being faithful. I mean besides having a relationship with an all-powerful God. In Psalms 1:1-2 it says:

‘Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.’

This tells us when we put God first in our lives and walk the narrow way He will bless us. We may not see the reward on this Earth but in the end it will come.

Faithfulness is akin to loyalty, the book of Proverbs shows faithfulness and loyalty paired four times. Just as in our relationships with our parents, friends or partner, we should be loyal and faithful to God and we will be blessed for it.

Hebrews 12:1-3 states ‘Faithfulness is the key that opens the door to the joy of the Lord.’ When we are faithful we are blessed with joy, the more time we spend with God the more enriched we will be by His presence.

There is always hope. Even if you end up straying and find yourself far from God remember if you return to Him and obey His commands then no matter where you are He will bring you home (Nehemiah 1:8-9). Perhaps not physically, but mentally and spiritually where it matters most.

References

Brewster Baptist Church. (2019) The Importance of Faithfulness. Available at: The Importance of Faithfulness – Brewster Baptist Church [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]

Roat, A. (2019) Does God Punish Us For Our Sins? Available at: Does God Punish Us for Our Sins? (christianity.com) [Accessed 26 March 2023]