OUR FAITHFULLNESS

Faithfulness is a big big deal to the LORD. I wish many Christians (myself included at times) would have such a great concern as the LORD does knowing His eyes are ever on us and on our faithfulness to Him and our brothers and sisters. In the Psalms we read, “Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful…” (Psalm 101:6) Ah yes we have grace now and we do not have to be creatures of our word. We can presume on our brothers and sisters good nature and forgiveness to say and do things we really do not mean. How many times have we said, "I will be over" or "I will do this or that" or "you can count on me" yet when these words were spoken there was no intention in us to make them true. My friend God is serious about our faithfulness to Him, our brothers, sisters, and others in this world. If we will not be faithful to God how can we be faithful to anybody else? Sadly we cannot, our words and actions only convict us of our wayward heart and our glib reaction to situations and circumstances we try to manipulate in our lives. We see this truth play out in the parable of the talents. Jesus shares this parable with us, "For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. 16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. 17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. 18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. 20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. 21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. 23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. 26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: 27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. 28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. 29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. 30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 25:14-30) In the parable there are two types of servants. The one that pleased the LORD and received a reward. The other did not! I do not know about you my friend, but I want to be like the servant that pleased the LORD. Now regarding the servants that pleased the LORD one servant had five talents, the other two. Though the number of talents varied the reward they received was identical. To both the LORD said the same, “Well done, you good and faithful servant: you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things: enter you into the joy of your lord.” (Matthew 25:21) Rewards are not based on how much I have done, but rather in being faithful with that which I have been entrusted with. The LORD was displeased with the servant with one talent not because he only had one, but because he was not faithful in using wisely the one that he had been given. It does not matter if I have five talents, two, or one. What is important is that I am faithful with that which the LORD has entrusted to me in the place where I am. Again it is not about the number or the types of talents, but what we did with the talents. The word “faithful” is found at least eighty-two times in the Bible. The dictionary defines faithful as maintaining allegiance to someone, or to something, of being a constant, loyal, friend. Faithfulness also speaks of showing, or having a strong sense of responsibility, of being conscientious, reliable, and full of faith. Paul talking to the Church at Corinth (who were very unfaithful) in 1 Corinthians 4:2 said, “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” The word “required” is a very strong word. To require means to demand as being necessary or crucial. Of a steward or servant, it is necessary, crucial, that he be found faithful. Well why is faithfulness so important to the LORD? Luke helps us here, “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.” (Luke 16:10) So if we are faithful in small things then God knows you will be faithful in big things. Did you know it is the small things God is concerned about in our lives? Oh we think God is concerned about the big things: how long we can speak in tongues, how much money we give, how hard we work at the church, etc., but the LORD is not looking at all of this, oh no, He is looking at our character and integrity. he is looking at how much we express the image of the Father in our daily living. We like to work for God, but remember it is not much done that counts, but how things were done. Did we do them in the right heart condition and for the right reasons and motives. My heart attitude is the key to my being faithful in whatever the LORD has called me to do. I am to do it out of a desire to please the LORD, and be found faithful in His sight. You know we all have different responsibilities. I may be called to cook or teach. Or I may be called to do construction work or work in an office. Perhaps I am a pastor or a missionary or maybe I have a ministry of helps. Did you know 90% of all ministries are helps? Not a lot of Christians want to help they seem to want to preach and teach. Well the last thing the LORD needs is another preacher or teacher, but now a servant God can use that. Again the reward is not for what I do. Rather it is for my faithfulness in doing what I do. What matters is that I am faithful in that which the LORD has entrusted me with. In my own life, at times I have held multiple positions all at the same time. Lately I am serving as a leader. In another, I am the song leader as woeful as that may sound. In another, I set up chairs and clean up with Karen. In each position I was just as happy because I understood the reward was not for what I was doing, but my faithfulness in whatever it was that I was doing, even if it meant just pushing a broom. Make no mistake my brother if you think you are too good (as I know many Christians today feel) to push a broom or set up chairs God cannot use you My contentment comes from a deep inner desire simply to please the LORD and be found faithful in His eyes. This simple understanding ever changes my life. My purpose (right or wrong big or small) is no longer what I am doing, but how I am doing it. My purpose is to please the LORD in whatever it is I am called to do. As the LORD continues to work in our lives through circumstances and responsibilities that He has allowed a working of the Holy Spirit is to continue in our lives, purifying our love for Him, increasing our desires to please Him. This love continues to grow, displacing all other desires. No matter the size of the work faithfulness is to be borne in our lives. I hear people at times say, if I could do this, or if I could do that, if I could be here, or go there, or have this, or have that, then I would be happy. That is not where true happiness lies. Happiness is in pleasing the LORD where He has called us and doing what He has called us to do. True happiness comes from that sense of being in right alignment with the LORD. True happiness comes simply from being faithful wherever, whatever. Our part is simply to be faithful. He will do the rest. Written by David Stahl