2 Timothy 1:12 declares, “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me in the ministry.” Then in Psalm 75:6-7 we read, “For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.” Without question, one of the foremost qualifications for promotion is faithfulness. It is not only a requirement with God, but that strength of character also leads to fulfillment and much blessing in our lives. Proverbs 28:20 declares, “A faithful man shall abound in much blessings.” Yet, today we are seeing an alarming erosion of faithfulness in our society. In the work place, disloyalty operates daily, undermining company morale and profits. “Just present me with my paycheck and I’ll be happy. And please don’t ask me to go the extra mile and really work today.” In every area of life, unfaithfulness and an unwillingness to commit, remains high.
What seems to be the problem? Jesus tells us the answer in Mark 9:19, “O, faithless generation.” When we step away from faithfulness to God’s Word by embracing the way of least resistance, we are in trouble. Success in life, whether it pertains to business, marriage, family, and working in the local church, or any other area of life, is built upon faithfulness.
Faithfulness Catches God’s Eye
Webster’s defines faithfulness as: “true to affections or allegiance; trustworthy; loyal; steadfastness; reliable or firm to an adherence or promise.” Psalm 101:6 reveals God’s heart, “My eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me.” Berkley translation states, “I will look to the trustworthy of the land to be my associates.” And the Living Bible tells us, “I will make the godly of the land my heroes and invite them to my house.”
Faithfulness gets God’s attention. Those who prove faithful are the individuals that God invites into his intimate presence and deems as associates in the earth. It is the faithful that God will use in these last days! He loves us all, but his ability to use us depends on having trustworthy hearts. These are the ones He entrusts to manage his business down in the earth. We must be faithful in the hour of unfaithfulness, diligently working as unto the Lord with all our hearts. It has been said that more people fail in life not for lack of ability, but for a lack of faithfulness.
Faithfulness Means Responsibility
Faithfulness is key to fulfilling all that God has designed for us. It is the proper foundation upon which God lays responsibility into our lives. Promotion from God only means responsibility at a new level. It is not to be confused with the world’s definition of exalting oneself. In Jeremiah 45:5 Jesus declared, “For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” God is interested in the stewardship of his will, not self-promotion. God is looking for us to be faithful and responsible and trustworthy over his affairs. God is not interested in endorsing a man’s agenda, but only his will.
When we prove ourselves responsible, we qualify for more delegated authority which comes from him. In Luke 9:23 Jesus declared, “And he said unto them all, ‘If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me’.” The Message Bible declares, “Anyone who intends to come after me has to let me lead. You’re not in the drivers seat, I am.”
God is looking to advance his kingdom through those he can trust. He is actively searching for those he can trust to carry out his orders in a loyal, true attitude of a servant’s heart.
Thank you so very much for your gracious support and love toward this ministry. We appreciate you greatly and are honored by your friendship!