Faithfulness Equals What?

I have the privilege to run along side a church in Van Buren, AR this week by speaking on a subject the Pastor is focusing on called, "God's Extreme Makeover." My subject to cover, faithfulness.

Here are a few thoughts I'm planning on sharing.

We typically get our definition of faithfulness by looking at what "we" don't do.

I don't cheat on my wife----so I'm a faithful husband.
I don't run out on my family----so I'm a faithful father.
I don't skip out at church----so I'm a faithful church goer.
I don't steal from my boss---so I'm a faithful employee.

While I certainly agree, I believe faithfulness goes far beyond what you and I don't do. Faithfulness has another side to it, it's reflected by the things we do, as well. Faithfulness is proactive.

Looking from a Biblical point of view--- faithfulness involves stewardship; stewardship is always about responsibility and requires accountability. (Matthew 25:14)
To put it in shorter terms, faithfulness is about responsibility.
Responsibility is not individual, it's communal, it's corporate, it's family.

Most of the references in the Bible concerning faithfulness point towards God. He is faithful!
We are charged to be faithful, and when we live by the Spirit, faithfulness is a fruit the Spirit produces in our lives.
We are most happiest when we are responsible, we were created to be responsible. (Genesis 3)

This week or month, I encourage you to look at every aspect of your life from the lenses of responsibility and ask yourself the question, "how faithful am I, really?" Because faithfulness is responsibility and the hidden truth about irresponsibility states, when we are irresponsible we are asking someone else to pick up our slack and be responsible for us."

Christ did this on the cross for us

As Christians we can't be irresponsible (unfaithful) because ultimately we're not just accountable to our spouse or our boss; ultimately we are accountable to our Heavenly Father.

Be faithful by actively pursuing ways to be responsible in your family, your marriage, your job, your church.

Blessings!

Little Things Part 3

Principle one: Little things don’t stay little.

Principle two: Little things hamper the power of God in our lives.

When Jesus tells the story about the master who gives three of his servants different amounts of money to take care of, he makes the statement about the two who acted wisely with their amount, he says, “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.” (Matthew 25:23)

In this parable, Jesus, is unfolding the principle in life that “we are managers” and it’s how we manage what we’ve been given that determines how much we will govern in the future.

In my travels I’ve met many “if-only” people. “If only” I had that type of church, “if only” I had that type of youth budget, “if only” I had those talents and abilities, “if only” I had that type of money, if only, if only, if only……

If only is never the real issue because it allows the focus to be in the wrong area. If we really got all our “if only” wishes then we would think it’s all about us and that it’s all ours; when it’s not. Everything comes from God, everything is His; we just manage what he’s given us.

In the parable, it was the master that gave different amounts to the servants. It was then up to the individual how they managed it. Good managers not only made more, they were entrusted with more in the future.

Life principle numbers three when it comes to little things, “little things should not be despised.”

In the story of David and Goliath, after Saul tells David to put on his armor to fight Goliath, David does but the armor didn’t fit and the verse that follows points us back to the little thing principle. (1 Samuel 17:40) “Then HE took HIS staff in HIS hand; and HE chose for HIMSELF five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in HIS shepherd’s bag, in HIS pouch which HE had, and HIS sling was in HIS hand. And HE drew near to the Philistine.”

Everything we have has been given to us by God. He has given us everything we need to accomplish His will for our life. Don’t despise the little things. Whatever “little” is to you: your youth ministry, your church, the class you teach, your job, income, talent, ability; thank God for the opportunity to manage it for Him. Like my friend, Song Flagler says, “Appreciating the little things will keep us in a constant state of thanksgiving."

When we are thankful and take care of the little things God has given us to manage; He gives us more because He sees we've been faithful with what He has already given us.