Faithfulness: It's Hard...

"Help, LORD, for the godly man ceases to be, for the faithful disappear from among the sons of men." -Psalm 12:1

"For their heart was not steadfast toward Him, nor were they faithful in His covenant." -Psalm 78:37

"I have chosen the faithful way;I have placed Your ordinances before me." -Psalm 119:30

"Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD,But those who deal faithfully are His delight." -Proverbs 12:22

"The LORD'S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. 'The LORD is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I have hope in Him.' " -Lamentations 3:22-24

"He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much." -Luke 16:10

"No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it." -1 Corinthians 10:13


As I think about faithfulness, this morning, I'm nearly overwhelmed by my past dealings in unfaithfulness... I think about how hard it is to actually stick to what you say sometimes! My brother and I volunteered to lead a time of worship, through music, at a camp this past summer... eight weeks of loading and unloading every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday night... We said we would do it! It was hard, but we were faithful to our word... but it's not always this way, is it? No, sometimes I allow the difficulty of a situation to overwhelm me, and I slowly-but-surely crumble beneath the load.

Do you feel what I feel: that intense desire to give in at times? To throw in the towel and call it quits?

My faithfulness is weak... and yet, my God has said that no temptation has overtaken me except which are common to man... I'm not recieving any "special temptations." I just let the weight of the moment overwhelm my faith that God can get me through ANY situation... such weakness on my part.

Thankfully, God's faithfulness is not limited to our being faithful to Him, but He is faithful even when we are not! He has promised a way of escape, through the blood of His Son, and we must lean on Him in the times when everything else is crashing down around us.

Just remember... Christ died, once and for all, for the sins of the world. There is no sin that you can commit that has not been covered by the mercy and grace of our Savior's sacrifice. However, we must not continue in our sins! Paul says in Romans 6:1, "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?" It is true that we must not continue in sin, but when you do sin it is also important to confess these sins to God... "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9).

Confession of sins is the first step in returning to faithfulness in our relationship with Christ. Of course, confession doesn't mean to simply say, "Yeah, Lord, please forgive me for sinning today..." No! This type of confession is the type that you say, for example, "God, I am a liar! I have sinned against You by not upholding the truth in all that I say and do. Please forgive me, Father. Please help me to stop lying... I want to be a truthful messenger of Your Word!" Get specific between you and God about what sins are affecting your life. Confess your struggles to Him. He is faithful and righteous to forgive you of your sins, but you must first bring them to Him and forsake them at the foot of the cross. Lay your burdens at the feet of Him who has saved you out of your sins... He is faithful, He is loving, He is true to His Word and He will forgive you and make you clean again!

Friends, this is our first step in becoming faithful servants of the Mighty God that we call Father! Faithfulness is not something that we can accomplish through our own efforts, but is cultivated in our relationship with God, through the Holy Spirit, and through Him changing our hearts as we study His Word and draw closer to Him. Only then will we truly understand and desire faithfulness.

So, take some time, today, to get right with the God of the Universe! Don't spend another day in unfaithfulness towards the God who has been faithful to you since before you were born! Reconcile yourself to Him, at the foot of the cross. Don't waste another minute in complacency. Become the Spirit-filled, fruit-bearing witness of Christ's saving grace that you were meant to be! Be faithful men and women, clinging to the Word of God as your guide to all faithfulness and righteousness.

Friends, I hope this week has blessed you, challenged you, and convicted you as much as it has me! I now see many more ways in which I need to grow! And with the help of God I will grow! Have a great weekend, and live in the faithfulness of God's Word!

Grace and Peace!

Questions or Comments? E-mail me at afflquestions@yahoo.com .