Jesus was reliable; from his earliest days, he knew--and expected others to know--what he would be about. When separated from his family at the conclusion of a religious celebration, he asked his distraught parents, "Why were you looking for me? Didn't you know where I would be?" Every activity and aspect of Christ had an inherent integrity which made Him wholly trustworthy. In 1 Corinthians 4:2, Paul exhorts believers of the need to be found faithful--to be trustworthy. That word is the essence of Christ's life: to be 'faithful' meant to be steadfast to one's Word and promises, to be worthy of belief and to be a believer. Christ was all of those things and as His servants, we are to be the same.
Those who walk this life journey with us need to be able to trust us. Our words must be fulfilled in our actions. Our promises must be certain lest those we walk with draw a conclusion that our belief in Jesus is not trustworthy either. Throughout scripture we have examples of faithful, trustworthy characters. Daniel's detractors were unable to accuse him because he was so trustworthy and never negligent to his duties. Joseph had the complete trust of those he served--whether the prison guard or the pharaoh--because he was trustworthy. Living the Christian life is about 'how' we live not just what we do: growing into the likeness of Christ will involve a character that resonates trustworthiness.
Such a character trait must be intentionally integrated into every activity of our life. In our world, there are so many opportunities to do good things and be busy for the Lord. Yet, we are only vessels of clay and can not do all things well. We are to be busy about good things, but we must never allow ourselves to be so busy we can not be faithful in all that we do. We are to do all things for the glory of God and if the activities we choose are so excessive that this key spirit of reliability is lost, we fail to bring Him glory. We also fail to evidence another aspect of faithfulness: right-focused belief. Our belief must be in God's power and provision, not our own productivity. Solid belief in our Lord, will help us live in a way that others will believe too!
Family Chat
Can people trust you to do what you say you will do?
How do you feel when someone promises something and then does not follow through?
What should you do if you make a hasty commitment and then have to withdraw?
Verses to read and discuss:
A few of the examples of faithfulness in scripture: Luke 2:49; Nehemiah 13:13; Daniel 6:4
What does Jesus say about being faithful? What do scriptures say about the blessings of faithfulness?
Matthew 24:45-46; Psalm 101:6
A key trustworthy part of our life is?: 1 Timothy 1:15; 2 Timothy 2:11; Revelation 21:15
No comments:
Post a Comment