Grow in Faithfulness—to Be Like God

When we think of being faithful, most people think first of marital fidelity. But faithfulness is much broader than that. It can involve almost every aspect of our life.

More than a human aspiration, faithfulness is a quality of God Himself, who we are to emulate in this regard.

What is faithfulness? How do we practice it, and when do we exhibit it in our lives?

Developing faithfulness

In our effort to become like God in our character, we must ensure that faithfulness is very high in our value system. Many people will profess faithfulness, but very few will demonstrate it. Why? Because often the virtue is costly, and few people are willing to pay the price. But for the godly person, faithfulness is an essential quality—regardless of what it might cost.

What is faithfulness? The underlying biblical words denote that which is firm and can be counted on. Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary defines the equivalent English term faithful as “firm in adherence to promises or in observance of duty.” Some common synonyms are “dependable,” “reliable,” “trustworthy” and “loyal.” The word also has the connotation of absolute honesty or integrity.

The faithful person is one who is trustworthy and loyal, dependable in all relationships and completely honest and ethical in all he or she does.

How does our faithfulness measure up to the faithfulness of God? How much more each day are we becoming like God our Father and our Elder Brother, Jesus Christ?

What should our faithfulness look like? Let’s consider three areas.

1. Absolute honesty

Absolute honesty in speech and in personal affairs has to be the hallmark of a faithful Christian. “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal truthfully are His delight” (Proverbs 12:22). And, “Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight” (Proverbs 11:1).

Note, we can be unfaithful in our words, but also in our deeds and in our business dealings! God detests lying and abhors dishonest business transactions—using underhanded tactics to cheat others. Not only are we commanded not to lie, but we are also commanded not to practice deception.

We lie or deceive when we pretend to be something we are not, when as students we cheat on an exam, or as taxpayers we fail to report all of our income. How much would you tell a prospective buyer about your used car? The issue of honesty pervades every area of our lives. We must exhibit absolute honesty.

Sometimes we are reminded of other occasions of seemingly innocent “social lying,” of instances of exaggeration, or manipulating the facts of a story just a bit. Perhaps we are not quite as honest as we might have considered ourselves to be.

Think of Jesus Christ. One day He asked His enemies, “Which of you convicts Me of sin?” (John 8:46)—or “Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?” (New International Version). If Jesus had ever distorted the truth even a little bit, He could not have asked that question with such total confidence. We are called to be like Jesus—to be as absolutely honest as He was.

Why go into such detail about absolute honesty in the social minutiae of life? Because this is where honesty begins. If we are careful to be honest in the little things, we will certainly be careful to be honest in the more important things of life.

Remember what Jesus said? “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much” (Luke 16:10). Our society desperately needs to reemphasize honesty in both its business transactions and its social dealings. Recall corporate scandals like Enron and WorldCom. Their executives thought it impossible to succeed in business today without compromising the truth. In some cases, the same attitude prevails in politics, sports and every aspect of our society.

As sons and daughters of God, we are called to be different, and that entails being models of absolute honesty in faithfulness.

2. Utter dependability

Few things are more frustrating than relying on someone who is not dependable. Notice what Solomon observed: “As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the lazy man to those who send him” (Proverbs 10:26).

It’s like fingernails on a chalkboard when you can’t rely on someone who is lazy. His or her unfaithfulness makes them exasperating. We may be indifferent about a lazy person’s habits if we don’t have to rely on them. But if we are dependent on their actions, we see those lazy habits as unfaithfulness.

Our society needs to reemphasize placing great importance on dependability. Today it so often takes a back seat to personal desire or convenience. Some people keep commitments only if it’s convenient for them.

For the person who is practicing godliness, dependabilityis a duty owed not only to our fellow man, but more importantly to God. Reliability is not just a social obligation; it’s a spiritual obligation. God is most concerned about our faithfulness to Him.

In Psalm 15, David asks an important question and gives the answer: “Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart [absolute honesty]; . . . He who swears to his own hurt and does not change [utter dependability]” (verses 1-4).

This psalm contains a written list of ethical standards a person must keep to dwell in God’s house and eventually be a part of His family. In the middle of that list is the last phrase we saw, also translated as one “who keeps an oath even when it hurts” (verse 4, NIV). God wants us to be dependable even when it costs us. This is what distinguishes godly faithfulness from the ordinary dependability of secular society.

There are numerous instances in which all of us make commitments that from time to time may prove costly to keep. At times such as these we especially need, with God’s help, to manifest the fruit of the Spirit that is faithfulness.

We must be people of utter dependability.

3. Unswerving loyalty

The faithful person is not only honest and dependable, but is also loyal. The issue of loyalty typically arises in connection with our friends. The word has come to have a connotation of sticking with someone through thick and thin. There is perhaps no greater description of loyalty than Solomon’s words: “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (Proverbs 17:17).

There is no such person as a “fair‑weather friend.” If a person’s loyalty doesn’t ensure his or her faithfulness to you in times of stress, then that person really isn’t a friend. The person is simply using you to satisfy some of his or her own social needs.

King Saul’s son Jonathan provides one of the best illustrations of loyalty in the Bible. His loyal friendship with David almost cost him his life at the hands of his own father. Amazingly, Jonathan realized how his loyalty to David would, in the end, cost him the throne of Israel. Whether it be in honesty or dependability or loyalty, faithfulness is frequently a costly virtue.

There is a kind of loyalty we must avoid—so‑called “blind loyalty.” This kind refuses to admit the mistakes or faults of a friend, and it’s actually a disservice. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful” (Proverbs 27:6)—rendered in the New Revised Standard Version as: “Well meant are the wounds a friend inflicts, but profuse are the kisses of an enemy.”

Only the truly faithful friend cares enough about us to undertake the often-thankless task of pointing out where we are wrong. None of us enjoys being confronted with our faults or sins or mistakes, so we often make it difficult for our friends to do so. As a result, many are more concerned to express agreement with each other than about speaking the truth.

This is not loyalty. Loyalty speaks the truth in faithfulness, but it also speaks it in love. Loyalty says, “I care enough about you that I will not allow you to continue unchecked in your wrong action or sinful attitude that will ultimately be harmful to you.”

We must have unswerving loyalty in faithfulness to God, and to each other.

How do we meet God’s requirement?

The first step in growing in faithfulness is to acknowledge the biblical standard. We must develop convictions consistent with this standard based on the Word of God. How do we do this?

First, study biblical verses on the topic of faithfulness.

Second, evaluate your life. Perhaps chat with a spouse or close friend. Do you seek to be scrupulously honest? Can others depend on you even when it is costly? Can God depend on you even when it is costly? Think of specific instances that either affirm your faithfulness or show you where you need to grow.

Third, where you see a specific need for faithfulness, make that both a matter of prayer and the object of some concrete actions on your part. Our effort and the power of God’s Holy Spirit work together to strengthen our godly character.

We cannot become a faithful person merely by trying. There is a divine dimension through God’s Spirit. Faithfulness is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, against which there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23). But it is also true that we will not become a faithful person without trying, without action.

While we usually don’t have to be faithful unto death, there may come a time when it is required. Jesus says, “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10). So, consider the reward for faithfulness. It is the crown of life—which represents eternal life!

Proving faithful to God and one another

We all appreciate a friend or acquaintance who has proven to be faithful—and even more so does God. You knew you could depend on that person to do what they said. You learned that their word was completely trustworthy. If they said they would call you, they would. If they said they’d be somewhere at a certain time, they’d be there. It’s great to have friends who are faithful.

In the parable of the talents, notice what the Master said: “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord’” (Matthew 25:21).

It may be argued that the faithfulness in this passage is in relation to God, rather than to one another. That is indeed true. But faithfulness to God includes faithfulness to one another. Jesus in the same chapter says: “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me” (verse 40). This is a key element to understand in each scriptural passage on faithfulness.

The two Great Commandments show how we must love God first, and our neighbor as ourselves. It is God who requires that we be faithful in all of our earthly relationships. If we seek to grow in faithfulness toward God and one another, we have the hope of hearing our Lord ultimately say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” BT

Relying on the Faithfulness of God

The Bible contains more than 60 references to the faithfulness of God. It’s not surprising that some 40 of these instances occur in the book of Psalms, which recounts the struggles of the people of God and their total dependence on His faithfulness.

We are totally dependent on God’s faithfulness. Consider the absolute necessity of the faithfulness of God—even for our very breath. We are dependent on God’s faithfulness for many things.

For salvation (1 Corinthians 1:9).

For deliverance from temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13).

For sanctification (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).

For forgiveness of our sins (1 John 1:9).

For deliverance from suffering (1 Peter 4:19).

For eternal life (Hebrews 10:23).

We can easily see how every aspect of the Christian life rests on the faithfulness of God. No wonder, then, that the psalmist says, in reflecting on the faithfulness of God: “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; with my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations. For I have said, ‘Mercy shall be built up forever; Your faithfulness You shall establish in the very heavens’” (Psalm 89:1-2, emphasis added throughout).

Even in the midst of lamentations over the judgment of God on Judah, the prophet Jeremiah could still proclaim of God, “Great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:23). Even study of the 60 biblical declarations of the faithfulness of God couldn’t do full justice to the subject. The entire Bible expounds on that theme. God’s faithfulness appears in precept or illustration on almost every page. And it moves beyond the written Word to God’s involvement in our lives.