Reflecting Faithfulness

Reflecting Faithfulness

Be faithful, even to the point of death.

Revelation 2:10

IN WORD Faithfulness comes in many forms. Jesus told His disciples to be faithful by letting “yes” mean “yes” and “no” mean “no.” Paul told his churches to be faithful in their behavior and their giving. Here in Revelation, Jesus tells the church at Smyrna to be faithful in the midst of persecution. In every case, the stakes are high. In Smyrna’s case, they’re extremely high.

Faithfulness is relative in our society. Many people define their faithfulness in a relationship as a temporary burden to bear until the relationship fizzles out. In our culture, “yes” has lots of meanings. So does “no.” Simple agreements necessitate long contracts because we’ve nuanced our language in alarmingly deceptive ways. And, in our age, faithfulness to a cause or to a person is admirable, but certainly never expected. Death is too much to ask of anyone, so we just don’t ask. We always define faithfulness to a point.

God doesn’t. His faithfulness is eternal, and He calls us to be like Him. Our faithfulness should reflect the constancy of His. Our integrity should go to the very depths of our being and to the farthest reaches of our relationships. Our character, like God’s, should be inviolable and incorruptible.

It isn’t, of course. We’re fallen sinners, and we’re as fickle as a political poll. Though Jesus tells His disciples to be faithful even in the small things, it’s especially the small things that we can be so casual with. When it comes to God’s constancy and reliability, we just don’t fit very well.

IN DEED God knows that. Nearly every biblical reference to faithfulness is about Him, not about us. We’re certainly called to be like Him, but we’re never held up in Scripture as the ideal. Only God is.

That’s why faithfulness simply must be a fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22 confirms it; we can only be faithful because of a work that God does in us, not because of ourselves. The measure of our faithfulness will be defined by the measure of our relationship to Him.

Only by fidelity in little things can a true and constant love of God be distinguished from a passing fervor of spirit.

—FRANÇOIS FÉNELON